8-Year-Old Louisiana Girl Dies After Naegleria fowleri Infection Linked to Lake Swim

An 8-year-old girl from northern Louisiana died on Saturday at a Ruston hospital, authorities said the fatal infection was caused by Naegleria fowleri, a microscopic amoeba that can lead to primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). The Louisiana Department of Health announced that the patient had been hospitalized after swimming in Lake Claiborne, where the pathogen is believed to have been contracted.

The family posted a statement on social media confirming the child's admission to the pediatric intensive care unit and describing the severity of the brain injuries. The department did not name the patient publicly.

Naegleria fowleri infections are rare but often deadly; about 97% of cases result in death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The amoeba enters the body through the nose when contaminated water is inhaled and travels to the brain, but it is not transmitted by swallowing water, nor is it found in saltwater or properly chlorinated pools. Symptoms typically begin with headache, fever, nausea and vomiting, progressing to neck stiffness, seizures and coma within a week to ten days.

Louisiana health records show three prior deaths from the amoeba since 2011, including two in 2011 linked to tap water use for sinus rinsing and a 2013 case involving a child who played on a slip-and-slide. The CDC reported two PAM cases nationwide last year, with most infections occurring in July and August.