Impact of the <i>pgdX</i> mutation in rat models of competitive fitness.

<p>Bacteremic titers in (A) 5-day old rats and (C) 30-day old rats infected with a mixture of equal numbers of the wild-type Hib strain 10810 (open circles) and the <i>pgdX</i> mutant strain HI2159 (closed circles). Results are means±SD from groups of 10 rats. Percentage of freshly drawn blood samples from (B) 5-day old rats and (D) 30-day old rats infected with a mixture of equal numbers of the wild-type Hib strain 10810 and the <i>pgdX</i> mutant strain HI2159 containing detectable colonies of the wild-type strain (black columns) or the mutant strain (white columns). (^*<i>P</i><0.005, ^**<i>P</i> = 0.005, ^***<i>P</i><0.0001).