Ebolavirus

Ebola— Zaire is the most deadly strain of Ebola, with a mortality rate of 50% to 90%. The five known subtypes of Ebola—EBOV (Zaire), Sudan, Tai Forest, Bundibugyo, and Reston (only affects animals)—are named for the regions in which they were discovered. There is no proven treatment or vaccine for the virus, which attacks the body’s immune system, hijacks cells, and weakens blood vessels, leading to shock and multiorgan failure.

Hemorrhagic Fevers — Ebola is a type of hemorrhagic fever, along with Marburg, Lassa, dengue, Rift Valley, and yellow fever. Viral hemorrhagic fevers are RNA viruses whose survival is dependent on animal or insect hosts. Ebola hemorrhagic fever initially makes the leap from an animal reservoir (most likely bats) to a human, and can then be passed from human to human through direct contact.

VS.

Ebola

Ebola is spread through bodily fluids, such as blood, vomit, urine, saliva, and diarrhea, and requires direct contact. If you recover, you no longer have the virus and are likely to be immune to that strain.

Influenza

Influenza is airborne, which means it can spread through sneezes, coughs, and tiny droplets on doorknobs or other surfaces. Many more people have died from seasonal flu than Ebola.

HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS is bloodborne, like hepatitis B and C, and is spread largely through sexual contact or shared needles. Once you have HIV/AIDS, you almost always have it for life, but most of those infected survive and live full lives by taking antiviral drugs.