Episode 72 - Senia Rosales-Klintz - Hide and Seek: The Reality of Tuberculosis in Europe
ECDC: On Air
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
5.0 • 3 Ratings
🗓️ 23 March 2026
⏱️ 32 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Tuberculosis remains a significant public health challenge in Europe, despite often being considered a disease of the past.
In this episode of ECDC: On Air, tuberculosis expert Senia Rosales-Klintz explains the current reality of TB, how the bacteria can remain dormant for years, and how it primarily affects vulnerable populations.
The episode also explores social stigma, challenges in accessing newer treatments, and the critical role of tracking patient outcomes in eliminating the disease.
Click here for more information on World Tuberculosis Day, and here for more information in general about ECDC.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | ECDC On Air, the podcast of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. |
| 0:13.0 | Keeping up to date with European Epidemiology. |
| 0:18.0 | Hello, welcome and thanks for tuning in to ECDC on air, the podcast of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. |
| 0:25.8 | I'm your host Lee, recording from our headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. |
| 0:29.8 | On today's episode for World Tuberculosis Day, 26, we're going to be talking about the realities of TB. |
| 0:37.1 | Tuberculosis is often mistakenly viewed as a |
| 0:39.5 | romanticized disease of the past, something that affected 19th century writers and artists. But actually, |
| 0:45.8 | TB is very much a modern reality. While it is becoming rare in many countries, it still exists in Europe, |
| 0:51.8 | affecting roughly 40,000 people every year in the EU. |
| 0:55.0 | It is a curable disease, but it is not a typical bacterial infection that can be resolved |
| 1:00.0 | with a short course of antibiotics. Treatment requires a significant time commitment, and the |
| 1:06.0 | disease disproportionately impacts vulnerable populations, such as refugees, asylum seekers, and those living in poor conditions. |
| 1:13.6 | Today, we are tracing the journey of TB with Senia Rosales-Klinz, expert in tuberculosis here at ECDC. |
| 1:20.6 | We're going to talk about how it can hide in the body, the sometimes difficult reality of modern treatment, |
| 1:25.6 | and the systemic gaps that cause people |
| 1:27.8 | to fall through the cracks when it comes to treatment and follow-ups. |
| 1:37.4 | Senia, thanks for joining us today. Before we begin, could you tell us a little bit about your |
| 1:41.4 | work here at ECDC? I work as a tuberculosis expert at ECDC since 2016. |
| 1:48.0 | So basically my activities is to coordinate with our counterparts in the European countries |
| 1:55.0 | on all that has to do with tuberculosis prevention and care. |
| 1:59.0 | So today is World TB Day and we're going to be talking about the |
| 2:02.5 | reality of TB in Europe. So to start us off with, many people think of TB as sort of consumption, |
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