For the first time, researchers have detected and tracked all major viruses associated with tumor development in wastewater, a breakthrough that could revolutionize cancer prevention and public health surveillance.
The study, led by Anthony Maresso and Justin Clark at Baylor College of Medicine, analyzed wastewater samples from more than 40 sites across 16 Texas cities between May 2022 and May 2025. Using advanced hybrid-capture genetic sequencing technology, the team identified over 3,000 known human viruses and potential new mutations in a single test.
Oncogenic viruses may be responsible for roughly one in five cancers worldwide, including HPV-linked cervical and throat cancers, and hepatitis B and C viruses associated with liver carcinoma. These infections often remain asymptomatic for years or even decades, making early intervention difficult.
The wastewater analysis detected all major oncogenic viruses, including HPV, hepatitis B and C, cancer-associated polyomaviruses, Epstein-Barr virus, and the herpesvirus linked to Kaposi's sarcoma. Notably, the study observed a significant increase in several oncogenic viruses after 2024, possibly due to the resumption of travel and interpersonal contact post-pandemic.
Of particular concern, high-risk HPV variants, especially HPV-16 and HPV-18 which cause over 70% of cervical cancers globally, showed a marked rise between late 2024 and early 2025. The Gardasil 9 vaccine's target HPV types were all detected in wastewater, suggesting environmental monitoring could assess vaccination campaign effectiveness.
"Our study shows that tumor-associated viruses can be monitored through wastewater," Maresso concluded. "This opens up new opportunities to better understand the relationship between these viruses and the human population and to develop more effective public health strategies."