article_snippet: Something in that rich diet made Richard III sick: Scientists from the University of Cambridge and the University of Leicester found evidence King was suffering from a roundworm infection when King died.
article_snippet: Researchers examining soil samples from the pelvis and skull of the skeleton spotted roundworm eggs in the area where the dead monarch's intestines would have been.
article_snippet: Roundworm eggs -- in this case Ascaris lumbricoides -- are ingested via contaminated food, water or soil; once hatched and matured, the worms can grow up to a foot long.
article_snippet: Despite Richard's noble background, it appears that his lifestyle did not completely protect his from intestinal parasite infection, which would have been very common at the time," said Dr Jo Appleby, from the University of Leicester, who exhumed KingKing remains.
article_snippet: 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," said Dr Piers Mitchell of the University of Cambridge, adding that the lack of tapeworms suggested the food Richard III ate was thoroughly cooked.
article_snippet: : Richard III had roundworm infection .