Comparative growth profiles of tested Mtb strains in the lungs during a 112 day-infection.

<p>(A) Early change in Mtb growth during the first 14 days of infection in C57BL/6 mice. (B) The overall growth pattern of tested Mtb strains in C57BL/6 mice. Mice (<i>n</i> = 5 per group at each designated time point) were aerosol challenged with approximately 450 CFU of Mtb H37Ra or with approximately 200 CFU of the H37Rv or the Beijing-K strain. The bacterial burden of their lungs was determined at various time points post-infection. Data are presented as the median log₁₀ CFU of five mice (± IQR) for each time point. A <i>p</i>-value ≤ 0.05 was considered significant: **<i>p</i> < 0.01 (Mtb K <i>vs</i>. Mtb H37Ra) and ^#<i>p</i> < 0.05 (Mtb K <i>vs</i>. Mtb H37Rv).