
Louisiana girl dies from rare brain-eating amoeba after lake swim
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.




