Figure 4: Survival, histomorphometry and lung bacillary loads after intratracheal challenge with M. tuberculosis H37Rv or M. tuberculosis 09005186 hypervirulent strain: BALB/c mice were vaccinated with the mce2A mutant or BCG and compared with control non-vaccinated animals. (A) Survival of BALB/c mice (20 mice per strain). (B) Percentage of lung surface affected by pneumonia determined by automated morphometry and (C) lung bacillary loads, both determinations after 60 days of challenge. Asterisks represent statistical significance (P< 0.05).