Microbiological assessment of sachet water "pure water" from five regions in Ghana.

Sachet water, popularly known as "pure water" has become an invaluable entity in most Ghanaian households. Despite its importance, there is no extensive nationwide investigations on its wholesomeness for consumption. The aim of this study was to determine the microbiological quality of 41 brands of sachet water sampled in 16 districts across 5 regions in Ghana.

Utility of QuantiFERON tuberculosis gold-in-tube test for detecting latent tuberculosis infection among close household contacts of confirmed tuberculosis patients in Accra, Ghana.

Objective/background: Introduction of the interferon gamma (IFN-γ) release assays with their higher sensitivity and specificity over the traditional tuberculin skin test has improved testing for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). None of the IFN-γ release assays has ever been used to screen for LTBI in Ghana. This study set out to determine the utility of the QuantiFERON TB Gold-in-Tube (QFT-GIT) test for the diagnosis of LTBI among close household contacts of newly diagnosed sputum smear-positive tuberculosis (TB) patents in Accra, Ghana, and the associated risk factors for a positive QFT-GIT test.