Difference between HIV and HCV (Hepatitis C)
Difference between HIV and HCV (Hepatitis C)

It is heard that now in the United States HCV is the more vulnerable disease than HIV. Statically, 4 million of the Americans are badly affected by HCV disease. When it comes to the tunnel of diseases, there are so many to consider and talk about. Nowadays, HIV HCV and HBV are the most common diseases. Although they share common characteristics but differences do vary from one point to another. Differences in the sense that how they get transmitted, how they remain present in the human body. And after that, the disease progression along with treatment comes. The difference between HIV, HCV (Hepatitis C), and HBV (Hepatitis B) should be known properly. You can also read about the difference between Jaundice and Hepatitis B here.

What is HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)?

Human immunodeficiency virus destroys CD4 lymphocytes resulting in impairment of cell-mediated immunity with consequent susceptibility to opportunistic infections. The immune system helps to fight infections but is destroyed by HIV. The patient presents with fever, erythematous maculopapular rash mainly over the trunk, fatigue, pharyngitis with cervical lymphadenitis, headache, arthralgia, and myalgia, and mucosal ulceration, etc.

What is HCV (hepatitis C virus)?

Hepatitis C is a type of viral hepatitis that causes liver infection. It is caused by the hepatitis C virus which is an RNA virus. Hepatitis C patients are usually asymptomatic with about 10 percent of patients have mild, flu-like illness and a rise in serum aminotransferases. Most of the patients are diagnosed years later with complications of chronic liver disease.

What is HBV (hepatitis B virus)?

Hepatitis B is a type of viral hepatitis that causes inflammation of the liver. It is caused by the hepatitis B virus which is a DNA virus. Patient presents with jaundice, fever, flu-like symptoms (malaise, easy fatigability, headache, arthralgia, myalgia, nasal discharge, cough, and pharyngitis), rashes (urticaria, maculopapular rash, Henoch-Schonlein purpura), polyarthritis, anorexia, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain and dark coloured urine, etc.

HIV vs HCV (Hepatitis C) vs HBV (Hepatitis B):

Types of viruses and transmission process:

The HIV virus is also known as Bloodborne. When it comes to the transmission process, they can get transmitted through semen, vaginal fluid, and breast milk. On the other hand, HCV is also a blonde kind of virus. It is usually present in the vaginal fluid. Whereas Hepatitis B infection is caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Following are the routes of transmission:

Intravenous route – Transfusion of infected blood or blood products. Contaminated needles used by drug addicts, tattooists, or acupuncturists.

Sexual intercourse with an infected person because the virus is present in saliva, semen, and vaginal secretions.

From infected mother to child at the time of delivery.

Strains:

When considering the strains of HIV, there are two kinds of HIV: HIV1 and HIV2. On the other hand, Considering HCV there is a notion of genotypes in which genotypes 1, 2,3,4,5 and 6 are involved. Whereas strains of HBV are acute hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis B.

Which Strain is the most common?

As far as the commonality is concerned; In HIV, HIV1 is the most common strain of HIV. On the other hand, genotype 1 is the most common one in HCV. Whereas in HBV chronic HBV is most common.

A notion of Sexual transmission:

Yes! It’s a global fear that whether sexual transmission is common or not? Yes, it’s common. In the case of HIV, its common but in HCV it is less common, especially between heterosexual couples. But in Hepatitis B virus sexual contact is a common way of spreading HBV.

Breast Feeding:

In the case of HIV, breastfeeding can become a cause of transmitting HIV while on the other hand, in the case of HCV, the notion of breastfeeding is somehow low. Whereas the risk of HBV during breastfeeding from mother to child is not possible if positive mother has received the HBIG/HBV vaccine at birth.

Can it be treated?

In the case of HIV, it can be a lifetime disease because the cure is somehow difficult. But HCV cannot remains always chronic. It can be cured and wiped out from the patient’s body. On the other hand, there’s no cure for hepatitis B. Patients receive symptomatic treatment only.

Risk of Reinfection:

When it comes to HIV, reinfection does happen. But in a few cases, it doesn’t have to swear implications until the new virus is full of drugs. On the other hand, HCV mixes up with other virus and make the treatment more difficult. Whereas in HBV risk of reinfection is present. 70 to 90 percent become asymptomatic carriers of HBsAg and develop hepatitis later in life when the immune system recognized infected hepatocytes.

How it is vulnerable outside the body:

Well! HIV is a delicate virus. It dies quickly when it is present outside the body. Whereas, HCV is a difficult virus to treat as a whole. It can remain present outside the body for days and even months. On the other hand, the hepatitis B virus is present for 7 days outside the body which is capable of causing infection.

Treatments:

When it comes to HIV, it has a different story with this disease because it inserts itself into the host’s DNA. While when it comes to HCV, it can easily be cured. While treatment the viral infection cleared so easily. HCV doesn’t replicate with the DNA program that is the main reason which helps in its treatment. Whereas treatment for HBV is as follows:

Bed rest:

Diet – High carbohydrate, high protein, low-fat diet providing adequate calories. Initially, fruit juice, glucose, and sugarcane juice should be given to the anorexic patients.

Medications:

  • Drugs should be avoided in severe hepatitis
  • Antiemetics for vomiting
  • Multivitamin supplements especially vitamin B complex and vitamin K if anorexia is marked.
  • Parenteral feeding
  • Calamine lotion and cholestyramine
  • Liver transplantation may be required for hepatic failure.

How much time a patient can spend:

In the case of HIV, patients having this disease can live many years most probably 5-8 years without any treatment. On the other hand, HCV patients can live with a duration of 10 to 15 years without the recognition of symptoms. Whereas in HBV majority of patients recover completely from acute hepatitis B, about 1 percent develop fulminant hepatic failure. About 1 to 10 percent of immunocompetent adult patients develop chronic hepatitis B virus infection in which 10 to 30 percent develop chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma while 70 to 90 percent become asymptomatic carriers of HBsAg and develop hepatitis later in life when the immune system recognizes infected hepatocytes. Chronicity develops in as many as 90 percent of infected neonates and infants.

Your choice of Treatment:

For HIV treatment, there are 26 drugs available in total that are specifically prepared for the demolishment of the disease. In the latter case, currently, therapies and pegylated Interferon plus Ribavirin is added. Not only that HCV protease inhibitor for genotype 1 is also used in the therapy so that it can better become a source of relief. Whereas treatment for chronic hepatitis B includes the following antiviral medications:

  • Nucleoside and nucleotide analogues (Entecavir and Tenofovir). Less commonly used now due to high chances of resistance (Lamivudine, Adefovir, and Telbivudine)
  • Interferon (Peginterfero (more effective), Interferon alfa-2a, and Interferon alfa-2b).

Which one is most killing one?

In the United States, it is estimated that more Americans are affected by chronic HCV and they were about 1.2 million in range. While when it comes to the HIV killing of people, there are 40 million people. HCV is more vulnerable when compared to HIV. But hepatitis B is more likely to cause liver-related death than hepatitis C.

Conclusion:

Concluding the Difference between HIV, HCV, and HBV it is on the nerves that HCV and HBV are the most hilarious and vulnerable disease when estimated on a global range but proper treatments can save a being’s life from being stayed in a pool of death.Which one is most dangerous in your opinion?