Table 1.
Colonization and persistence of S. Enteritidis after enterocolitis onset
| Dose (CFU) and infecting strain | Days p.i. | CFU/ml (range) |
DNA in knees & lymph nodesa | Survivalc | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peyer's patches | Spleen | ||||
| 3 × 103 to 4 × 103, wild type | 2 | 58 (16–85) | 57 (20–97) | Negative | 5/5 |
| 4 | 77 (13–105) | 94 (32–104) | Negative | 5/5 | |
| 14 | Negative | 72 (23–97) | Negative | 4/5 | |
| 21 | Negative | Positiveb | Negative | 4/5 | |
| 107, ΔinvG mutant | 2 | 112 (47–124) | 135 (73–252) | Negative | 5/5 |
| 4 | 97 (38–112) | 126 (57–139) | Negative | 5/5 | |
| 14 | Negative | Negative | Negative | 5/5 | |
| 21 | Negative | Negative | Negative | 5/5 | |
a
Negative, no bacterial DNA was detected by PCR assay.
b
Detected by PCR assay only.
c
Number of survivors/total number of mice. On day 7 two animals died, one from the group to be sacrificed at day 14 and one from the group to be sacrificed at day 21. Survival rate was 80% for mice infected with the wild-type strain and 100% for animals receiving the invG mutant.