8-Year-Old Louisiana Girl Dies After Naegleria fowleri Infection Linked to Lake Swimming
An 8-year-old girl in northern Louisiana died from a rare brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, which health officials say was likely contracted while swimming in Lake Claiborne.
An 8-year-old girl from Ruston, Louisiana, died on Aug. 22, a day after her birthday, after contracting Naegleria fowleri, a rare amoeba that can cause fatal brain infection. State health officials confirmed the diagnosis on Aug. 19 and indicated the infection was probably acquired while the child swam in Lake Claiborne, a freshwater lake in the northern part of the state.
Governor Jeff Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill posted messages of condolence on social media, urging prayers for the family and the community.
Naegleria fowleri is found in warm freshwater bodies and can enter the brain when contaminated water is forced up the nose. It does not spread through ingestion, person-to-person contact, or in saltwater and properly chlorinated pools. Between 1937 and 2025, 180 cases of primary amebic meningoencephalitis have been recorded in the United States, three of them in Louisiana.
The death follows recent reports of five Louisiana residents who died from Vibrio vulnificus, a bacteria that thrives in coastal waters and can cause severe infections, especially in individuals with underlying health conditions.