An 8-year-old child has died after contracting a rare and often fatal brain infection believed to have been caused by Naegleria fowleri, commonly known as the “brain-eating amoeba,” following a swim in a freshwater lake in Louisiana, health officials confirmed.
The child is believed to have been exposed to the amoeba while swimming in warm freshwater. The organism enters the body through the nose, travels to the brain, and causes Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM)—a rare but highly aggressive infection that destroys brain tissue. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the disease is extremely rare but has a fatality rate of more than 97%.
Health authorities have temporarily closed the lake while water samples are being tested and environmental assessments are carried out. Officials are also working to determine whether environmental conditions, including high water temperatures and low water levels, may have contributed to the presence of the amoeba.
Symptoms of PAM usually begin within one to 12 days after exposure and may include severe headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, confusion, seizures, hallucinations, and loss of balance. Because the infection progresses rapidly, early diagnosis and immediate medical treatment are critical, although survival remains extremely rare.
Public health officials emphasized that infections caused by Naegleria fowleri are exceptionally uncommon and cannot be spread from person to person. Most cases occur after swimming or diving in warm freshwater lakes, rivers, or hot springs where water is forced up the nose.
Authorities are urging swimmers to take precautions during the summer months by avoiding warm freshwater with high temperatures, keeping their heads above water when possible, using nose clips, and avoiding stirring up sediment in shallow areas where the amoeba is more likely to be present.
The incident has prompted renewed calls for public awareness about the rare infection, with health experts reminding families that while the risk remains extremely low, taking simple preventive measures can help reduce the chance of exposure.