A rare illness is found in a child who picked up the germ in Lake Somerville, but officials say you can still swim in Lake Somerville.
The state won't confirm how the child is doing, but the illness, meningoencephalitis, is usually fatal.
The state health department says every body of water in the world has this germ. It is rare for the germ to cause illness in humans.
To help protect yourself it is recommended you wear nose plugs because that is generally how the germ enters the body. Also, avoid stagnant water -- the germ is more prevalent there.
