MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa —

What started as a scratchy throat for Steve Moody quickly became a life‑threatening illness, his wife, Sarah Moody, said — and now a widening Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Marshall County has turned deadly.

The state health and human services department confirms one person has died, and at least 21 cases have been confirmed. The person who died was an older adult with underlying health conditions, officials said.

After weeks of cold symptoms, Sarah Moody said her husband's symptoms escalated on Sunday.

“When I took him to urgent care on Sunday, he was not coherent. He could hardly stand up," she said.

On Monday, she said doctors at UnityPoint in Marshalltown diagnosed Steve Moody with Legionnaires’ disease — a severe form of pneumonia.

On Thursday, county and

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