Tragic Death of Young Girl Due to Rare Amoeba Infection in Louisiana

An eight-year-old girl from Louisiana has passed away after contracting a highly uncommon infection caused by a brain-eating amoeba found in warm freshwater, according to her family. Known as Lillian Smart, she died over the weekend. She had been diagnosed with an infection from Naegleria fowleri, which is described by health authorities as a ‘brain-eating amoeba’ that thrives in freshwater bodies across the U.S. This amoeba can enter the body when water shoots up the nose, leading to an infection that is almost always fatal. The U.S. typically sees fewer than 10 such cases annually.

Her parents, Daniel and Rebecca Smart, shared their grief on social media, stating, ‘Last night Lillian ran from our arms to the arms of Jesus. The injuries to her brain were too severe for her little body to recover from. Everyone did everything they could to keep her here.’

The Louisiana Department of Health announced last week the state’s first confirmed Naegleria fowleri infection since 2013, without identifying the victim. The department, adhering to privacy protocols, does not comment on individual cases, spokesperson Stacey Grow explained. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry also expressed his sorrow over Lillian’s passing in a message posted online.

The infection likely contracted while swimming in Lake Claiborne in northern Louisiana can result in a fatal condition known as primary amoebic meningoencephalitis. This occurs when the amoeba-laden water travels up the nose to the brain. Between 1937 and 2025, there have been approximately 180 confirmed cases in the U.S., with the Health Department stating these cases are nearly always fatal. Notably, the infection does not transmit from person to person.

Naegleria fowleri resides in warm freshwater environments such as lakes, rivers, canals, and ponds across the U.S. The amoeba poses a danger in waters exceeding 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius) and has predominantly been a summer issue in the South. However, a few cases have recently occurred in Maryland, Indiana, and Minnesota.

The Louisiana Department of Health mentions there is no routine environmental testing for Naegleria fowleri in water bodies. The previous year, a 12-year-old boy in South Carolina also succumbed to an infection from the same amoeba.