BackgroundMerkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) is the first polyoma virus consistently linked to the etiology of a human cancer. Serological studies indicate that the virus is commonly acquired in childhood, with seroprevalence reaching 50% or higher among young adults. The modes of MCPyV transmission are still unclear, but it has been identified in respiratory tract samples. Given its respiratory tropism, we examined whether MCPyV could be detected in mesothelioma tissue, a malignancy induced in animal...