Lillian Smart, an 8-year-old from Louisiana, died Saturday at a Ruston hospital following an infection suspected to be caused by a brain-eating amoeba. Health authorities believe she contracted the rare pathogen while swimming in a lake in northern Louisiana.
Her passing occurred tragically just one day after she had celebrated her eighth birthday.
"The injuries to her brain were too severe for her little body to recover from," the Smart family shared in a statement posted on social media Sunday morning. "Everyone did everything they could to keep her here. We are heartbroken and honestly do not know what to do next. How do we put one foot in front of the other without our girl?"
On Wednesday, the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) announced that a state resident had been hospitalized after becoming infected with Naegleria fowleri, a microscopic amoeba capable of causing a rare and frequently fatal brain infection.
While state health officials did not publicly identify Lillian as the patient in their announcement, her family subsequently confirmed on social media that she had been admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit at a Ruston hospital and identified Naegleria fowleri as the cause of her critical illness.
The health department indicated that the infection in the case it announced was most likely acquired when the patient was swimming in Lake Claiborne a short time before the onset of symptoms.
Understanding Naegleria Fowleri and PAM
Naegleria fowleri is the causative agent of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, or PAM. This extremely rare and severe brain infection develops when contaminated water enters the nasal passages, allowing the amoeba to travel to the brain. It is important to note that individuals cannot become infected by ingesting contaminated water.
The amoeba does not thrive in saltwater environments or in swimming pools that are properly chlorinated.
Symptoms and Historical Cases
Initial symptoms of PAM typically include headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting. These symptoms then often progress to a stiff neck, seizures, and ultimately coma. Symptoms generally manifest approximately five days after exposure to the amoeba, and the disease can unfortunately lead to death within about one to two weeks following their appearance.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 97% of individuals who develop PAM ultimately succumb to the infection.
Records from the Louisiana Department of Health indicate three prior deaths linked to Naegleria fowleri in the state since 2011:
- In 2011, a 20-year-old man in St. Bernard Parish died after using tap water to rinse his sinuses.
- Also in 2011, a 51-year-old woman in DeSoto Parish passed away after using tap water for a similar purpose.
- In 2013, a 4-year-old boy contracted the amoeba while visiting a home in St. Bernard Parish, where he had been playing on a slip-and-slide. State officials later reported that CDC testing confirmed the presence of Naegleria fowleri in the parish's water system.
Nationally, the CDC reported two PAM cases last year. Of the 173 infections documented over approximately the last 90 years, nearly 91% occurred during the months of July and August, highlighting a seasonal prevalence for the amoeba.
