At home with hostility: How do pathogenic bacteria evade mammalian immune surveillance to establish persistent infection?

Bacterial persistence is of major concern as persistent bacterial infections involving bacteria such as Helicobacter pylori, Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis pose significant public health problems worldwide. This report discusses the recent advances in understanding the strategies used by bacteria during persistent infection that allow them to colonize specific sites in the host and evade immune surveillance.