FIG 2.
Type IV secretion system (VirB)-deficient and flagellum (FliC)-deficient strains of B. melitensis are able to persist in the blood of infected mice until day 3. Wild-type C57BL/6 mice were injected i.p. with 106 CFU of the wild-type (wt), FliC, or VirB strain of B. melitensis, and blood was collected at the indicated time points. The data represent the CFU per ml of blood of individual mice and are representative of three independent experiments. The gray bars represent the medians. **, P < 0.01.