Figure 6

Deletion of the flagellin gene alters colonisation and virulence in BALB/c mice. BALB/c mice were infected with ST34 S. Typhimurium and Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:- strains. At 3, 7, and 14 days post-infection, the bacterial loads per gram of tissue in the liver (A), spleen (B), ileum (C), cecum (D), and Peyer’s patches (E) were examined. Each dot represents the count from a single mouse, and the geometric mean is indicated by the horizontal line. Error bars represent ± SEM. *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001. F Each of the five BALB/c mice in the six groups was monitored for 15 days. Virulence was determined by the survival rate of mice in each group after infection. G Spleen swelling was assessed for comparison among the groups at 14 dpi.