Eight-Year-Old Dies After Contracting Naegleria fowleri in Louisiana
An 8-year-old girl in Louisiana died from a brain infection caused by the Naegleria fowleri amoeba, prompting health officials to warn the public to avoid a local lake with a cyanobacteria bloom.
An eight-year-old girl in Louisiana died after being infected with Naegleria fowleri, a free-living amoeba that can cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis when water enters the nose. The child was hospitalized at Ruston Hospital before succumbing to the infection, which is fatal in most cases.
The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) has advised residents to avoid Henderson Lake, where a cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) bloom has been detected using satellite imagery. LDH officials said the bloom’s toxicity cannot be determined by visual inspection and recommended staying away from any visible or suspected bloom.
"Because algal blooms can move and change quickly, LDH recommends avoiding areas where a bloom is visible or suspected," the department said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explained that the amoeba thrives in warm freshwater bodies and can enter the brain through the nasal passages, leading to a severe infection that is rarely survivable.
Local authorities continue to monitor water quality and issue advisories to protect public health.