Figure 3.

Protective efficacy of human sera peaks in convalescence. End-organ Staphylococcus aureus colony-forming units (CFUs) after adoptive transfer of serum samples obtained at 3 distinct time points (V1, within 72 hours of hospitalization for invasive S. aureus infection; V2, 4–6 weeks after infection; and V3, 6 months after infection). Protective efficacy is present from samples obtained at V2, but protection has waned by V3 (n = 5 animals per group). Error bars represent 95% confidence intervals around the mean. CFUs were enumerated from whole homogenized organ in 1 mL of phosphate-buffered saline.