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Eight-Year-Old Louisiana Girl Dies After Contracting Rare Brain-Eating Amoeba Infection
Just the facts
The Louisiana Department of Health confirmed on August 19, 2026, that a state resident contracted a Naegleria fowleri infection after swimming in Lake Claiborne in Claiborne Parish. The individual, eight-year-old Lillian Smart of Ruston, was hospitalized on August 15, 2026, and died on August 22. Naegleria fowleri causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis, a fatal brain infection that develops when contaminated warm freshwater enters the body through the nose. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 180 cases of Naegleria fowleri infection have been identified in the United States since 1937.
Why this is news
Eight-year-old Lillian Smart of Ruston, Louisiana, died on August 22, 2026, after contracting a Naegleria fowleri brain-eating amoeba infection during a swim in Lake Claiborne.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.