Evaluation of the protective efficacy of peptides by analysis of the Coxiella burden in immunized mice.

<p>Six naïve mice per group were immunized with 7 peptides individually or pooled. Mice immunized with <i>C. burnetii</i> WCA and PBS served as positive and negative controls, respectively. Fourteen days after the last immunization, each mouse was challenged with <i>C. burnetii</i>. The mice were sacrificed on day 7 after challenge, Coxiella loads in the mouse spleens were determined by Qpcr (A) and spleen weights were measured (B). Data are expressed as the mean copy number of six mice, and error bars indicate the standard deviation. Compared with the negative control; *<i>P</i><0.05.