It was announced last week that Legionnaires Disease was spotted in Marshall County. 28 people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires Disease and 1 person has died since August of 2025. The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services will be issuing an update daily at 3pm on hhs.iowa.gov, until there are no cases for a consecutive 28-day period.
On Friday, Iowa HHS said that the cluster of Legionnaires Disease is among people in north central Marshalltown. Symptoms of Legionnaire’s disease are, fever, chills, non-productive cough, stomach pain, and diarrhea. Legionnaire’s Disease is caused by breathing in bacteria from sources of contaminated water. It is not spread person-to-person.
HHS is now asking property owners, businesses and individuals, especially those with cooling towers, hot tubs or fountains, to review water management practices. Disinfection of water systems should be done to prevent bacteria growth, along with regular water system maintenance.
Zach Tomesch, News Director KFJB