The bacterial load in spleen and lung of mice immunized with recombinant bacille calmette-guerins (rBCGs), including rBCG-1173:A, rBCG-1173:AE, rBCG-1173:IE, rBCG-1173:GC, rBCG-1173:GE, rBCG-1173:GCE, BCG-SH:IE and BCG-SH:AE (log10 CFU/g). Mice immunized with PBST, BCG-1173 and BCG-SH were considered to be the control groups. a P < 0.05 vs. all BCGs; b P < 0.05 vs. BCG-1173; c P < 0.05 vs. BCG-SH.