Relapse after treatment completion.

<p>Mice were monitored weekly for renewed swelling of infected footpads after treatment completion. In four mice, lesions instead appeared at ectopic sites (A) Mouse treated with RIF+CLR for 6 weeks began to show inflammation at the base of the right ear ~14–15 weeks after treatment cessation and was sacrificed at week 21. (B) AFB staining of lesion in right ear shows abundant bacilli as did growth of bacilli in culture at 32°C. (C) Mouse treated with RIF+CLR for 8 weeks showed essentially no sign of relapse and no cultivable bacilli in footpads but had a severe lesion at the base of the tail 31 weeks after treatment completion with abundant AFB and cultivable bacilli.