8-year-old Louisiana girl dies from a rare brain-eating amoeba found in warm freshwater
- An 8-year-old girl in Louisiana, Lillian Smart, died after being infected by Naegleria fowleri, a rare brain-eating amoeba.
- The infection was likely contracted while swimming in Lake Claiborne in north Louisiana.
- Health authorities reported that this was the state's first confirmed Naegleria fowleri infection since 2013.
- The amoeba can lead to a fatal infection known as primary amoebic meningoencephalitis.
- There have been approximately 180 confirmed infections in the U.S. since 1937, with nearly all cases being fatal.
An 8-year-old girl in Louisiana has died after being infected by an extremely rare brain-eating amoeba known as Naegleria fowleri. Her family reported that Lillian Smart passed away over the weekend after being diagnosed with the infection.
Health authorities indicated that the infection was likely contracted while swimming in Lake Claiborne in north Louisiana. The Louisiana Department of Health confirmed that this was the state's first confirmed case of Naegleria fowleri since 2013.
Naegleria fowleri is known to thrive in warm freshwater bodies and can cause a fatal infection called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis when it enters the brain through the nose. According to health officials, there have been approximately 180 confirmed cases in the U.S. since 1937, with nearly all cases resulting in death.
路易斯安那州8岁女孩因感染罕见脑食虫虫而去世
路易斯安那州一名8岁女孩因感染罕见的脑食虫虫Naegleria fowleri而去世。她的家人报告称，莉莉安·斯马特在被诊断出感染后于周末去世。
卫生当局表示，该感染可能是在北路易斯安那州的克莱博恩湖游泳时感染的。路易斯安那州卫生部确认这是该州自2013年以来首次确认的Naegleria fowleri病例。
Naegleria fowleri在温暖的淡水体中繁殖，当水通过鼻子进入大脑时，可能导致一种称为原发性阿米巴脑膜脑炎的致命感染。根据卫生官员的数据，自1937年以来，美国大约有180例确认病例，几乎所有病例均导致死亡。