An 8-year-old girl died in Louisiana after contracting a brain-attacking amoeba infection in a lake.

An eight-year-old girl named Lillian Smart died in Louisiana after contracting a brain-eating amoeba infection from a lake. The fatal infection was caused by Naegleria fowleri, a rare organism found in warm freshwater.

The incident brought renewed attention to the organism, which typically becomes fatal when it enters the body through the nose and reaches the brain.