Q: My relative is suffering from bone tuberculosis (TB). They have a child at home. Is this disease infectious? Do we need to keep the patient isolated? He is under medical treatment at the moment.

A:TB of the bones or joints is known as skeletal TB. The common sites involved in bone TB are the large weight-bearing bones or joints including the vertebrae, hip and knee. It is curable, and the duration of treatment is usually from 9 months to one year. If the x-rays of the patient are clear, and he does not have any respiratory symptoms, then there is no risk of infection to close contacts, provided there is no pus or wound discharge positive for acid fast bacilli (AFB).