8-Year-Old Louisiana Girl Dies After Naegleria fowleri Infection

An 8-year-old girl from Ruston, Louisiana, died on Aug. 22 after contracting Naegleria fowleri, a rare amoeba that can cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). The Louisiana Department of Health confirmed the infection was likely acquired while the child was swimming in Lake Claiborne, a freshwater body where the organism is known to thrive.

Naegleria fowleri is typically found in warm, untreated freshwater such as lakes, rivers, canals and ponds across the United States. It does not inhabit salt water or properly chlorinated pools. Infection occurs when contaminated water is forced up the nose, allowing the amoeba to travel to the brain; it cannot be transmitted by swallowing water or through person-to-person contact.

The disease is extremely rare, accounting for fewer than ten deaths annually in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only four people have survived out of 167 recorded cases since 1962. A similar fatality was reported in July 2025 involving a boy who swam in a South Carolina lake.

Health officials advise swimmers to reduce risk by using nose clips or holding the nose when diving, avoiding stirring up sediment in shallow water, and keeping the head above water in hot springs. These precautions can help prevent water from entering the nasal passages, the primary route of infection.