Zika Virus and HIV/AIDS: Similarities and Differences

If you’ve been following or even skimming the news, no doubt you’ve heard about the current Zika outbreak, which has been drawing comparisons to the HIV pandemic (as well as the recent Ebola epidemic). So, what is Zika, and how does it compare with HIV?

We have known for a long time that HIV can be transmitted sexually. However, if the HIV-positive partner is on treatment and has an undetectable viral load, the risk of transmission is almost reduced to zero. This strategy is known as “treatment as prevention.” In fact, two large studies found zero HIV transmissions when the positive partner had an undetectable viral load. In addition to treatment as prevention, we also can offer HIV-negative individuals pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a daily pill that, when taken, can also greatly reduce transmission risk.

Saliva and urine: Brazilian researchers say they have found active levels of Zika virus in saliva and urine. However, this does not mean transmission is possible through saliva and urine. More research will be needed to shed light on that.

HIV cannot be transmitted through saliva and urine, despite this also being a common myth and frequently asked question.

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During the Canada Post strike announced September 25, 2025, the following measures will be undertaken to minimize service disruption to BC-CfE clients and providers.

  • The BC-CfE Laboratory has transitioned to private courier for delivery of outgoing reports and documents. Results required urgently can be faxed upon request. (Lab Contact Information: Phone 604-806-8775; FAX 604-806-9463)
  • The BC-CfE Drug Treatment Program (DTP) will fax outgoing forms and documents to the provider’s office. (DTP Contact Information: Phone 604-806-8515; FAX 604-806-9044)
  • St. Paul’s Hospital Ambulatory Pharmacy has transitioned to private courier for delivery of medications. We recommend requesting medication at least 2 weeks in advance in case of delivery delays, particularly to rural/remote parts of BC. (Contact Information: Phone 1-800-547-3622; FAX 604-806-8675)

During the Canada Post strike, we recommend that documents be faxed or couriered to our sites, versus utilization of regular mail service

The BC-CfE Laboratory is streamlining reporting processes for certain tests in order to simplify distribution and record-keeping, and to ensure completeness of results. Beginning September 2, 2025, results for the ‘Resistance Analysis of HIV-1 Protease and Reverse Transcriptase’ (Protease-RT) and ‘HIV-1 Integrase Resistance Genotype’ tests will be combined into a single ‘HIV-1 Resistance Genotype Report’.
For more details and example reports, please click on the button below