Fig 3. Brucella specifically targets and multiplies in cervical lymph nodes during oral infection and causes long-term lymphadenopathy.

C57BL/6 mice were infected by gavage or by the oral route with 10⁹ B. melitensis per mouse. At 2, 8, 29 or 50 days post-infection, mice were sacrificed and organs weighed and analyzed for their bacterial loads by plating homogenates on nutrient agar. Data represent mean organ weight or CFU per organ and SEM of the pooled results from two independent experiments with 4 mice per group.