Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
August 19, 2026
LDH reports Naegleria fowleri infection in Louisiana resident
Rare infection most likely acquired while swimming in Lake Claiborne
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Aug 19, 2026 - The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting a confirmed Naegleria fowleri infection in a Louisiana resident. The resident most likely acquired the infection while swimming in Lake Claiborne, located in Claiborne Parish, shortly before illness.
Naegleria fowleri, often referred to as a brain-eating amoeba, is commonly found in warm freshwater lakes, rivers, canals, and ponds throughout the United States. It can cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a brain infection that may result when water containing the amoeba rushes up the nose and reaches the brain. The infection is extremely rare, but nearly always fatal.
Naegleria fowleri cannot infect people if swallowed and is not spread from person to person. The amoeba is not found in salt water or in properly maintained and chlorinated pools. Symptoms of Naegleria fowleri infection typically start with severe headache, fever, nausea and vomiting and progress to stiff neck, seizures, and coma that can lead to death. Symptoms usually begin about five days after infection but can start within one to 12 days.
Naegleria fowleri thrives in warm, fresh water and grows best at higher temperatures up to 115°F. The amoeba is naturally occurring, and there is no routine environmental test for Naegleria fowleri in bodies of water.
A Health Alert Network (HAN) was shared to all state providers from Louisiana Department of Health on August 18, 2026, advising on symptoms and reporting.
Though the risk of infection is low, recreational water users should always assume there is a risk when they enter warm fresh water. You can reduce your risk of infection by limiting the amount of water that goes up the nose. Recommended precautions include:
For more information regarding Naegleria fowleri, please visit Naegleria fowleri Infections | Naegleria fowleri Infection | CDC.
https://ldh.la.gov/news/7696
LDH reports Naegleria fowleri infection in Louisiana resident
Rare infection most likely acquired while swimming in Lake Claiborne
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Aug 19, 2026 - The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting a confirmed Naegleria fowleri infection in a Louisiana resident. The resident most likely acquired the infection while swimming in Lake Claiborne, located in Claiborne Parish, shortly before illness.
Naegleria fowleri, often referred to as a brain-eating amoeba, is commonly found in warm freshwater lakes, rivers, canals, and ponds throughout the United States. It can cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a brain infection that may result when water containing the amoeba rushes up the nose and reaches the brain. The infection is extremely rare, but nearly always fatal.
Naegleria fowleri cannot infect people if swallowed and is not spread from person to person. The amoeba is not found in salt water or in properly maintained and chlorinated pools. Symptoms of Naegleria fowleri infection typically start with severe headache, fever, nausea and vomiting and progress to stiff neck, seizures, and coma that can lead to death. Symptoms usually begin about five days after infection but can start within one to 12 days.
Naegleria fowleri thrives in warm, fresh water and grows best at higher temperatures up to 115°F. The amoeba is naturally occurring, and there is no routine environmental test for Naegleria fowleri in bodies of water.
A Health Alert Network (HAN) was shared to all state providers from Louisiana Department of Health on August 18, 2026, advising on symptoms and reporting.
Though the risk of infection is low, recreational water users should always assume there is a risk when they enter warm fresh water. You can reduce your risk of infection by limiting the amount of water that goes up the nose. Recommended precautions include:
- Use caution when engaging in water-related activities in warm freshwater during periods of extended extreme heat. Naegleria fowleri usually occurs when temperatures increase for prolonged periods, resulting in higher water temperatures and lower water levels.
- Swimmers can reduce their risk by keeping their heads out of the water and using nose clips or plugging their noses when going underwater.
- Avoid submersing your head in hot springs and other untreated fresh thermal water.
- Avoid digging in or stirring up the sediment while taking part in water-related activities in shallow, warm freshwater areas.
For more information regarding Naegleria fowleri, please visit Naegleria fowleri Infections | Naegleria fowleri Infection | CDC.
https://ldh.la.gov/news/7696