00:00And the award for one of the hardest-working organs in the body goes to the liver.
00:08Hello, I'm your liver.
00:09Although almost no one thinks about me, I perform more than 500 functions essential for your body to work.
00:15The funny thing? I'm so resilient that even when I start to get sick, I almost never complain.
00:21I can spend years working in silence, until the damage is already too great.
00:25And one of the diseases that can affect me the most has a name: hepatitis!
00:30Let's talk then about what hepatitis is.
00:33In short, hepatitis is inflammation of the liver.
00:36It can have different causes, but one of the best known is viruses.
00:40There are five types of viral hepatitis: A, B, C, D, and E.
00:46And although they all affect the same organ, they are not transmitted in the same way, they do not have the same frequency, nor do they represent the same
00:52risk.
00:53Hepatitis A and E are usually acquired by consuming contaminated water or food.
00:58They generally produce an acute illness that resolves in a few weeks.
01:01Although hepatitis E can be especially serious during pregnancy.
01:06Hepatitis B and C, on the other hand, are the ones that generate the most concern because they can go years without producing symptoms.
01:12and become chronic infections.
01:14Hepatitis B is mainly transmitted through sexual contact, contact with contaminated blood, or from mother to child, especially during
01:22childbirth.
01:22Hepatitis C is mainly transmitted through direct contact with contaminated blood, for example, through needles or syringes.
01:29or other non-sterile items.
01:31There is also hepatitis D, which can only infect people who have hepatitis B and can cause
01:37the disease may become even more serious.
01:39The good news is that many types of hepatitis can be prevented or treated.
01:43In Colombia, there are vaccines to prevent hepatitis A and B.
01:47They are part of the expanded immunization program, so they are offered free of charge.
01:52The hepatitis B vaccine is administered from the first 12 hours of life and is supplemented with booster doses.
01:57at 2, 4 and 6 months of age.
02:00The hepatitis A vaccine is part of a childhood vaccination schedule starting at 12 months of age.
02:05And although there is still no vaccine against hepatitis C, today there are treatments that can cure it in more than a percent of cases.
02:1195% of cases.
02:13The real challenge remains detecting it early, because for years it may not produce any symptoms.
02:19I work quietly to keep you healthy.
02:22Now it's your turn to do your part.
02:24Get vaccinated. Avoid risk factors.
02:27Ask if you have any questions.
02:28And don't wait until symptoms appear to take care of me.
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