8-Year-Old Louisiana Girl Dies After Contracting Rare Waterborne Amoeba

An 8-year-old girl from Louisiana died over the weekend after being diagnosed with an infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, a rare amoeba that lives in warm freshwater. The Louisiana Department of Health confirmed the state’s first case of the parasite since 2013, though it did not name the child. Authorities said the infection was probably contracted while the girl was swimming in Lake Claiborne in northern Louisiana.

Naegleria fowleri can enter the body when water containing the organism is forced up the nose, leading to primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, a severe brain infection that is almost always fatal. The U.S. records about ten cases per year, with roughly 180 confirmed infections since 1937.

"Heartbroken over the news of Lillian’s passing," Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry wrote on the social platform X.

The parasite thrives in freshwater bodies where temperatures exceed 77°F and is most common in the summer months in southern states. Recent cases have also been reported in Maryland, Indiana and Minnesota. The health department noted that there is no routine testing for the amoeba in public waters and that the infection cannot be transmitted from person to person.

The girl’s parents posted a message on Facebook expressing their grief, stating that the injuries to her brain were too severe for recovery despite extensive medical efforts.