During the hot summer months seniors and those with chronic health conditions are at the greatest risk for heat stroke. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, more people die from heat waves each year than from hurricanes, lightning, tornadoes, floods and earthquakes combined. What can you do?

This month saw two natural disasters strike in different areas of the world. There is a huge need for critical resources to aid in the rescue and relief efforts for the earthquake that struck in Sichuan province in China, and the cyclone that struck Myanmar. There will be an ongoing need to assist disaster relief efforts for the foreseeable future.

Albany County Clerk Tom Clingan advises property owners to beware of a deed copy scam. The County Clerk's office has received calls from concerned property owners about communications that they've received from "New York Retrieval, Inc" offering to secure a certified copy of the deed to their property for a fee of nearly $60.00. This is about 10 times what it would cost to obtain a certified copy directly from the Clerk's office, and non-certified images can be viewed for free online.

Lead Poisoning is a danger for every baby and child. If you are pregnant, protect yourself and your baby from lead poisoning.

Drowsy driving, driving while sleep-deprived or falling asleep behind the wheel, is a growing problem in New York State. In addition to increasing your risk of having an accident, driving while drowsy or sleep-deprived can alter your judgment and reaction time and endanger you, your passengers and other drivers on the road.

The Children and Family Services unit of the Department for Children, Youth and Families is looking for foster and adoptive parents. We provide training and assistance to local families who want to provide a safe haven or a permanent home to a child in need.

Due to recent media coverage, there has been increased interest among community residents about MRSA infections. MRSA is a type of staph bacteria that causes infections that are resistant to treatment with usual antibiotics. It is not a new infection. The majority of these infections occur among patients in health care settings. Individual cases are not reportable in NYS, only clusters or outbreaks. There are no clusters or outbreaks of MRSA in Albany County at this time.

Recently, there has been much attention focused upon “Bird Flu” which has caused illness to poultry in Asia and in parts of Europe. Fortunately, the risk to the community at this time is considered to be very small.

     The Albany County Health Department has issued an advisory for residents to be aware that bats may carry rabies and to capture any bats that come in contact with humans or pets for rabies testing.

The Albany County Department of Residential Health Care Facilities is providing disposal of used syringes and needles (sharps), for the community, such as for diabetes patients who use needles for insulin shots.