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Rare Amoeba Claims Life of Louisiana Girl | Durham News
A heartbreaking tragedy unfolded in Louisiana as eight-year-old Lillian Smart died from a rare, almost always fatal brain-eating amoeba called Naegleria fowleri, likely contracted while swimming in Lake Claiborne. This infection, which causes rapid and devastating brain damage, is extremely rare—with fewer than ten U.S. cases reported annually—and there’s no way to test water for it. Officials say this is Louisiana’s first case since 2013, and the family’s grief is shared by the entire state, including Governor John Bel Edwards. With the amoeba thriving in warm freshwater, experts warn of…
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