Revealed: The viruses that can give you cancer. Experts now say one in five cancer-related deaths could be triggered by an illness. Our special report by leading doctors tells you how to protect yours

Quit smoking, go easy on the alcohol and stick to a healthy diet. The bug that could be the cause of a role is a particular strain of E. coli – best known as a cause of food poisoning outbreaks via undercooked meat and contaminated vegetables and salads Now research suggests this might explain why cases of bowel cancer appear to be on the increase in young people. 'Normally it's viruses – like HPV – that persist for long periods in our bodies which are associated with cancer,' says Lawrence Young, a virologist and professor of molecular oncology at the University of Warwick. Hepatitis C – a chronic viral infection which affects more than 60,000 people in England – is another virus that causes long-term inflammation in the liver, leading to cirrhosis and, eventually in some cases, cancer cells. Meanwhile,the Epstein-Barr Virus – the so-called 'kissing bug' that causes glandular fever – is known to play a part in the development of around 40 per cent of cases of Hodgkin lymphoma, an aggressive cancer that affects more than 2,000 people a year in the UK.