8-Year-Old Girl Dies in Louisiana After Suspected Brain-Eating Amoeba Infection From Lake Swim

Lillian Smart, an 8-year-old girl from Ruston, Louisiana, has died after reportedly contracting a rare infection suspected to have been caused by Naegleria fowleri, commonly known as the “brain-eating amoeba.”

Louisiana health officials said the infection was likely linked to swimming in Lake Claiborne. Lillian died on August 22, 2026, just one day after celebrating her eighth birthday.

Her family said she suffered severe brain damage as the illness progressed.

The infection causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), an extremely rare disease that attacks the brain and has a very high mortality rate. Naegleria fowleri generally enters the body when contaminated freshwater goes up the nose, rather than through swallowing the water.

Lillian’s sudden death has devastated her family and community, especially because she died just one day after her birthday.

Health officials continue to warn people about the potential risks of swimming in warm freshwater, where Naegleria fowleri can sometimes be present. However, infections remain extremely rare.

Source: ABC7 Chicago