Arabic version: وفاة طفلة من لويزيانا بعد إصابتها بعدوى أميبا نادرة

According to The Guardian, eight-year-old Lillian Smart of Ruston, Louisiana, died after contracting Naegleria fowleri, a rare amoeba infection that is typically fatal. Her family announced her death in a public Facebook post on the “Love for Lillian” page, saying she died on Saturday, one day after celebrating her birthday.

The family said the injuries to Lillian’s brain were too severe for her body to recover. Lillian had been hospitalized since 15 August, KNOE reported. The Louisiana department of health confirmed on 19 August that a state resident had been infected with Naegleria fowleri and said exposure most likely occurred while swimming in Lake Claiborne in Claiborne parish. Family friends later identified Lillian as the infected resident, according to several local media reports.

Naegleria fowleri infections are extremely rare and almost always fatal. Only a handful have occurred in Louisiana since 2011. The amoeba thrives in warm water and is most commonly found in southern states during summer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says about 180 cases have been identified in the United States since 1937.

The amoeba can be present in warm freshwater, including lakes, rivers and ponds, but is not found in salt water or properly maintained, chlorinated swimming pools. Infection can occur when contaminated water enters the nose and the amoeba travels to the brain, causing primary amebic meningoencephalitis. People cannot be infected simply by swallowing water containing the amoeba, and it does not spread from person to person.

More than two dozen Ruston businesses showed support for the Smart family and donated portions of sales, according to the family’s Facebook page. In 2023, an Arkansas child died after contracting Naegleria fowleri from a country club splash pad in Little Rock.