Table 1.

Experimental overview of various drinking water exposure scenarios

Experiment number	Exposure groups	Time to VBNC conversion	Exposure	Euthanized
1	40 C57/BL6 mice (20 male, 20 female)	2 d	Exposure to 1 d of 109 cells/L of VBNC Helicobacter pylori	4 wk after final exposure
2	40 C57/BL6 mice (20 male, 20 female)	2 d	Exposure to 6 d of 109 cells/L of VBNC H. pylori a	2 wk after final exposure
3	10 C57/BL6 Severe Combined Immunodeficient mice (4 male, 6 female)	2 d	Exposure to 1 d of 109 cells/L of VBNC H. pylori	1 wk after final exposure
4	100 C57/BL6 mice (50 male, 50 female)	4 d	Consistent exposure to >109 cells/L of VBNC H. pylori over 56 d	4 d after final exposure
Negative control	10 C57/BL6 mice (4 male, 6 female)	N/A	Sterile, filtered tap water for 60 d	Day 60
Positive control	10 C57/BL6 mice (4 male, 6 female)	N/A	Consistent exposure to >109 cells/L of viable, culturable H. pylori over 56 d	4 d after final exposure

^aMice were exposed to contaminated drinking water for 3 d, followed by 11 d of sterile water, and then another 3 d of contaminated water.