Fig 3. LbrC and LbrM isolates exhibit distinct virulence in BALB/c mice.

(A) The panel represents the lesion development in hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) after infection with the isolates. Ear thickness was measured with a Mitutuyo digital caliper for six weeks. Each point represents the mean lesion size (±SEM) of five animals per group. (B) The graph represents the parasite load in the ear of BALB/c mice after a four-week infection with the isolates by limiting dilution assay. Three or five mice were used per group. The lower panel shows representative images of ear lesions after 4 weeks of infection. (C) Quantification of IFN-γ and IL-4 cytokines released by lymph node and spleen cells after one month of infection with the LbrC² and LbrM² isolates following stimulation with SLA for 72 h. Three mice were included in each group. *p<0.05 (two-tailed t-test).