All articles tagged with #lake claiborne
An 8-year-old girl in Louisiana died after contracting Naegleria fowleri, a rare brain-eating amoeba found in warm freshwater, likely from Lake Claiborne. Infections are extremely rare and almost always fatal; this marks Louisiana's first confirmed case since 2013, with fewer than 10 U.S. cases annually.
An 8-year-old Ruston girl, Lillian Smart, died after contracting Naegleria fowleri, a rare brain-eating amoeba, likely from a Lake Claiborne swim. The infection is extremely rare and almost always fatal; health officials advise precautions for warm freshwater (keep heads out of the water, nose clips, avoid disturbing sediments). The LDH notes PAM cases are rare in the U.S. (about 180 since 1937–2025) and urges awareness, with Louisiana reporting three cases in that period.
An 8-year-old Louisiana girl, Lillian Smart, died after being infected with Naegleria fowleri (brain-eating amoeba) suspected to have been contracted while swimming in Lake Claiborne; PAM is extremely rare and usually fatal, with most documented cases occurring in July–August.
An 8-year-old girl, Lillian Smart of Ruston, Louisiana, died after contracting Naegleria fowleri, a rare brain-eating amoeba likely acquired during a swim at Lake Claiborne. The infection, which happens when contaminated water enters the nose, is extremely rare and nearly always fatal; health officials emphasize it does not spread from person to person and climate-driven warming may expand the amoeba’s range. A community fundraiser supported the family as officials investigate the case.
An 8-year-old girl in Ruston, Louisiana died after contracting Naegleria fowleri, a rare brain-eating amoeba likely acquired during a Lake Claiborne swim; the infection affects the nose and can cause fatal brain inflammation, with about 97% mortality; Louisiana has had three prior Naegleria fowleri deaths since 2011.
An eight-year-old girl from Ruston, Louisiana died from a Naegleria fowleri infection—an extremely rare brain-eating amoeba likely contracted during a swim in Lake Claiborne. The state confirmed the infection and noted such cases are almost always fatal; experts say warm freshwater and climate change may increase exposure risks.
A Louisiana resident is hospitalized after contracting primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rare brain infection caused by the brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri, from swimming in Lake Claiborne. PAM has a about a 97% fatality rate with only four U.S. survivors since 1937. Health officials warn that warm freshwater lakes and inadequately chlorinated pools can harbor the amoeba, and prevention focuses on nose protection when in such waters; there is currently no reliable method to reduce amoebas in water.
Louisiana health officials confirmed a case of Naegleria fowleri, a brain-eating amoeba, in a resident who likely contracted it while swimming in Lake Claiborne. The infection is extremely rare and almost always fatal, with symptoms typically starting about five days after exposure and progressing from headache and fever to stiff neck, seizures, and coma. It is not transmitted person-to-person, and there is no routine environmental test for the amoeba. Nationally, about 180 cases have been recorded since 1937–2025, with past Louisiana fatalities in 2011 and 2013; prevention focuses on reducing water entering the nose in warm freshwater during summer.