Richard III had roundworm infection The infection is one of the most common health conditions in the world, affecting an estimated quarter of people worldwide. Although it is rare in Britain today, it would have been common at the time of the king's death in 1485. Most patients experience no noticeable signs of infection, but a small proportion suffer from symptoms including shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting. However, researchers said the findings from the soil analysis, published in The Lancet journal, revealed no tapeworm from common meat or fish suggesting the King's food was generally cooked well. Dr Piers Mitchell of the University of Cambridge, who led the study, said: "Our results show that Richard was infected with roundworms in his intestines, although no other species of intestinal parasite were present in the samples we studied. We would expect nobles of this period to have eaten meats such as beef, pork and fish regularly, but there was no evidence for the eggs of the beef, pork or fish tapeworm. This may suggest that his food was cooked thoroughly, which would have prevented the transmission of these parasites. Dr Jo Appleby, Lecturer in Human Bioarchaeology at the University of Leicester, UK, added: "Despite Richard's noble background, it appears that his lifestyle did not completely protect him from intestinal parasite infection, which would have been very common at the time."