MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa — The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services announced there are now 34 cases of Legionnaire’s Disease in Marshall County, including one death, as of Tuesday afternoon. That’s four more than a day ago.

HHS is in charge of investigating the cluster of cases in the county. 

On Monday night, Marshalltown held a city council meeting where officials with Marshalltown Water Works and Marshall County Public Health spoke. They both said the water is safe to drink and passes all tests and standards. 

So, residents want to know how and why this is happening and where it’s coming from. 

Legionnaire’s Disease is not spread person to person. The disease thrives in water environments and typically spreads through the spray of water droplets, like mist.

One Marshalltown resident, Shona Pennington-Otto, said she knows two people that have contracted the disease. One was fairly asymptomatic; the other was hospitalized. 

“Caught off guard, came on quick and she ended up going to the hospital by ambulance,” Pennington-Otto said. “She’s mainly really a homebody and so that’s why my point is, why hasn’t anybody been to her house to check? They are in two different towns, but their stories are completely different. There’s nothing in common.”

“It’s not knowing that has people concerned. You worry more about what you don’t know. So I am really hoping that the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services is doing what it needs to do. I’m hoping they bring in the CDC if that needs to be done on something like this,” Marshalltown Mayor Joel Greer said. 

People 50 or older and those with a weakened immune system are more vulnerable to Legionnaire’s Disease. Some possible symptoms are cough, fever, shortness of breath, muscle aches, chest pain and nausea.

Health officials say it can be treated with antibiotics when diagnosed early. 

Pennington-Otto is thankful her friends’ parents are doing okay now, but they want more information on how they contracted it. 

“Neither one of them has been given any answers at all. My friend has been asking what has happened or what can be done. And the hospitals are absolutely doing everything they can, you know, by doing the antibiotics and such for that,” she said. “But as a county, I think we need to come together a little bit more and find out what’s going on here, because these are older folks.”

Pennington-Otto is also concerned for herself and her mom who both have MS. 

“If we were to come in contact with this, it would greatly affect our life. And it’s scary,” she said.

It’s a concern for all in the area, especially as the case numbers continue to rise. 

“That is scary to me. That’s way more than we should be seeing in a normal thing like this,” Greer said. “The quicker we can pinpoint where people got it or the exposure was, the better off we’ll be.”

For more information on Legionnaires’ Disease, visit HHS.Iowa.gov.