Analysis of the Virulence of an Atypical Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli Strain In Vitro and In Vivo and the Influence of Type Three Secretion System

Table 3

Intracellular bacteria at three and 48 hours after infection of Caco-2 cells.

Strain	Number of intracellular bacteria; at 3 hours (mean ± SD)	Number of intracellular bacteria; at 48 hours (mean ± SD)	Mean bacterial persistence index
1711-4 WT	41,666 ± 16,093.5	3,333 ± 1,310.9	7.9%
1711-4 ΔescN	1350 ± 129.1	433 ± 110.1	32.1%
1711-4 ΔescN (pEscN)	37,500 ± 3,535.5	3,266 ± 503.3	8.7%