A CHILD contracted a rare and 'severe' infection caused by animal wee after taking a dip in a popular swim spot, a council has said. Dedham Parish Council in Essex said the local student had contracted Weil's disease after swimming in an Essex river. The child "suffered a severe infection after swimming in the River Stour at Dedham, and has been very poorly", it said.

In a letter published on its website, the authority said it was a "confirmed case of Weil's disease (leptospirosis) which can be very serious". The Environment Agency said its latest samples "do not suggest any water quality issues" at sites designated for bathing in the river. The disease is spread in the urine of infected animals, most commonly rats, mice, cows, pigs and dogs.

People can contract Weil's disease if soil or freshwater - such as water from a river - containing infected urine gets in their mouth, eyes or a cut. Most people who get Weil's disease have no symptoms or only experience mild flu-like symptoms. However, some people can get seriously ill from the disease, according to the NHS.

Symptoms may include high temperature, headache, body aches and pain, stomach ache, feeling or being sick, diarrhoea, red eyes and yellowing of the skin or white part of the eyes. People who may have been exposed to infected urine and are displaying symptoms are advised to see a GP. The River Stour straddles the Suffolk and Essex border.

Dedham Parish Council said it wanted to ensure that both students and parents w.