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Kristal King
ENG 111
Compare Essay
27 October 2014
EBOLA vs. HIV/AIDS
Many may disagree with me but the Ebola virus and HIV/AIDS has a lot more in common than
the average person may think. Both have been around longer than many may want to believe, in fact
the Ebola virus was first discovered in 1976 and HIV/AIDs was first discovered in the mid-1970s. Both
viruses have been around longer than thirty years and there is no one true cure and many are not as
conscious to help prevent spreading both deadly viruses. It is amazing how many fear the Ebola virus
versus the HIV/AIDs virus, neglecting that both viruses cause many negative changes to your once
health bodies once expose.
The Ebola virus is a virus that causes acute, serious illness which is often fatal if left untreated.
The Ebola virus is an interesting virus, in that it is so deadly but yet it has not spread across the world as
the HIV virus even though, it is transmitted in the same forms. The Ebola virus is transmitted through
direct contact through broken skin or mucous membranes, blood or bod fluids, objects contaminated
with the virus and through infected fruit bats or primates. The virus is not spread through the air or by
water, according to the CDC. WHO states that, Ebola was introduced into the human population through
close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals, found ill or
dead in either both the rainforest and forest. The most interesting facts about the virus is that even if
you have recovered from the virus, you can no longer spread the virus, however the virus can live in
semen up to three months and contaminate and unaffected person. (CDC) The Ebola virus differs from
the HIV/AIDs virus in that it can cause disease in both humans and nonhuman primates. (CDC)

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When it comes to the symptoms of Ebola, you have to be careful as it may be mistaken as a
simple virus, including the flu. Humans are not considered infectious until they develop the symptoms.
The only way to detect he virus is through blood tests, the two most common include Enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and through Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The
first symptoms of Ebola include the sudden onset of fever fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore
throat. These first symptoms are than followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, symptoms of impaired
kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding. Symptoms can take
between two to twenty-one days after exposure, with the average being eight to ten days. As the illness
progresses, it can cause multiple organ failure, severe bleeding, jaundice, delirium, seizures, coma and
shock. (The Mayo Clinic)One of the main reasons the virus is considered fatal is that it affects the
immune systems ability to support a defense. According to the webMD, people who survive, recovery is
slow. Survivors may experience hair loss, sensory changes, hepatitis, weakness, fatigue, headaches, eye
inflammation and testicular inflammation. Once your infected chances are, you will never be the same.
Unfortunately, there are no vaccines against the virus, nor have there been FDA-approved but
there are prevention methods. As long as the prevention methods are practiced at the maximum rate,
chances are the spread of the virus can decrease dramatically. Prevention includes practicing careful
hygiene; do not handle items that may have come in contact with an infected persons blood, bodily
fluid. Avoid handling bodies that have expired from Ebola symptoms. The number one step in the
prevention of the spread of Ebola is to avoid areas of known outbreaks (Mayo Clinic). Once you are
infected the only methods of treatment are maintaining fluids, blood pressure, providing oxygen as
needed, replacing lost blood and treating other infections that may develop. The sooner you began
treatment after being first exposed are the higher your chances of survival.

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HIV/AIDS is a chronic, potentially life-threatening condition that interferes with your bodys
ability to fight the organisms that cause disease (Mayo Clinic). HIV has widely spread throughout the
world. The ways to become infected are almost identical to the ways the Ebola virus is transmitted.
Having unprotected sex with an infected person has become the number one transmission throughout
the world. Other forms of transmission include blood transfusions from an affected person, by sharing
contaminated needles with an infected person, during pregnancy or delivery or through breast-feeding
from an infected mother. As you can see all the previous forms of transmission are all similar to the
exchange of bodily fluids with an already infected person. HIV/AIDS cannot be transmitted from animal
to human as the Ebola virus (Mayo Clinic).
The symptoms of the HIV virus include fever, headache, muscle aches, rash, chills, sore throat,
mouth or genital ulcers, swollen lymph glands (mainly on the neck), joint pain, night sweats, diarrhea.
The flu-like illness is normally developed two months after the virus enters into the body. HIV however
does progress to AIDS if there are not proper treatments and medicines being taken. Symptoms of AIDS
are soaking night sweats, shaking chills, or fevers higher than 100F for several weeks, cough, shortness
of breath, chronic diarrhea, persistent white spots or unusual lesions on your tongue or in your mouth,
headaches, persistent, unexplained fatigue, blurred and distorted vision and weight loss. The
progression from HIV to AIDS typically occurs if youre receiving no treatment for the HIV infection,
which takes about ten years. When your HIV develops into AIDS it shows that your immune system is
severely damaged making you susceptible to opportunistic infections that wouldnt trouble a person
with a healthy immune system (CDC).
The cure for HIV/AIDS is nonexistent, but there are antiviral drugs that that prolong or prevent
the disease from evolving into the next phase, they sometimes help avoid spreading the virus through
sexual transmission. There are home testing kits that can detect for the virus. There are clinics all around

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the nation that offer free HIV/AIDS testing. Most doctors offices will recommend that you are checked
every six months. People with HIV/AIDS tend to live a long and healthy productive life as long as they
maintain their virus and keep up with their meds and treatments. The ways to prevent the transmission
of HIV/AIDS are very similar to the prevention of the Ebola virus. Always use condoms during sex, if
youre pregnant seek medical treatment right away, always use sterile needles, and avoid risky lifestyles
(CDC).
Many deny coming into contact with persons of both viruses. They fear the thought of being
exiled and being treated as an outsider. People fail to realize that the transmission of both viruses is due
to denial and the thought of believing that that will never happen to you. Neither virus is discriminatory;
they both affect all races, both sexes and all ages. The difference is between how fast each virus may
affect and lead to your death. Since the Ebola breakout it seems that all are doing what needs to be
done to avoid transmission but when it comes to HIV/AIDS many have that nonchalant attitude towards
the virus like its nothing. Both viruses affect your immune system and your ability to live a healthy
lifestyle to your full extent had you never gotten infected in the first place. Neither virus is better than
the other but HIV/AIDS has more pros than cons with research and the antiviral drugs that are used to
treat the virus. Ebola has no medicines to help treat it or cure it. The hospitals just treat the symptoms
that are occurring right then and there. As the human race we have to practice the prevention
mechanisms to avoid the spread of both deadly viruses. We have to maintain the mentality that it can
happen to me, if I am careless and have no self-respect or respect for others.

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WORKS CITED
"Ebola Virus Disease." WHO. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/>.

"Ebola Virus and Marburg Virus." Causes. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ebola-virus/basics/causes/con-20031241>.
"Ebola Virus: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/ebola-fever-virus-infection>.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d. Web. 03
Nov. 2014. <http://www.cdc.gov/search.do?subset=&queryText=EBOLA>.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 15 Oct. 2014.
Web. 02 Nov. 2014. <http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/index.html>.
"HIV/AIDS." Definition. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2014. <http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseasesconditions/hiv-aids/basics/definition/con-20013732>.