Hidden virus inside gut bacteria linked to doubled colorectal cancer risk, study finds

A newly discovered virus hiding inside common gut bacteria may be linked to colorectal cancer, according to new research.

Scientists in Denmark found that colorectal cancer patients were about twice as likely to carry a previously unidentified virus within Bacteroides fragilis, a bacterium that normally lives in the human gut, according to the study published in Communications Medicine earlier this month.

Researchers say the discovery could help scientists better understand the role of the gut microbiome in cancer development.