Q: One of my relatives is suffering from brain tuberculosis. Is brain tuberculosis a communicable disease? I am pregnant and I want to know whether it will affect my baby and me.

A:Brain tuberculosis without involvement of the lungs is not infectious for immediate family members. However, since the infection starts from the lungs and then affects the brain, lung involvement should be screened in all cases as well as close family contacts. In case lungs show active disease, then the patient is liable to spread the infection through aerosols. All infectious cases usually become non-infectious after 2-4 weeks of anti-TB treatment.