{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]],"date-time":"2026-09-02T08:23:37Z","timestamp":1788337417158,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]],"date-time":"2026-09-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788307200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Subproject of the National Key Research and Development Program of China entitled \u201cConstruction of Pathogen Spectrum and Epidemiological Characteristics of Major Pathogens in Yaks\u201d","award":["2023YFD1801301"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2023YFD1801301"]}]},{"name":"Open Project Program of Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis","award":["R2307"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["R2307"]}]},{"name":"China Agriculture Research System of MOF and MARA","award":["CARS-37"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CARS-37"]}]},{"award":["CARS-37"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CARS-37"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03p5eky76","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Xizang Autonomous Region Modern Agricultural Industrial Technology System for Yak","award":["XZARS-MN-2026"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["XZARS-MN-2026"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive zoonotic pathogen responsible for listeriosis, a severe foodborne disease with high mortality in humans and animals. This study aimed to investigate the molecular epidemiology and genomic characteristics of L. monocytogenes isolated from raw yak meat in Nyingchi, Xizang, China. A total of 231 yak-related samples were collected in Nyingchi, consisting of 214 retail raw yak meat samples, 14 farm environmental samples, and 3 nearby water source samples. L. monocytogenes isolates were identified and characterized using culture-based methods, PCR serotyping, and whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Bioinformatic analyses were performed for virulence, antimicrobial resistance, and functional gene annotation using KEGG and COG databases. The overall contamination rate of Lm was 13.08% (28\/214) for retail raw yak meat samples, whereas no isolates were recovered from 14 farm environmental samples (0.00%, 0\/14) and 3 nearby water source samples (0.00%, 0\/3). The serotypes of isolates were 1\/2a (9\/28, 32.14%), 1\/2b (7\/28, 25.00%), and 1\/2c (12\/28, 42.86%). These 28 isolates exhibited varied antimicrobial resistance profiles, with universal resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, high resistance to erythromycin and clindamycin, and low resistance to vancomycin. MLST analysis revealed seven sequence types (STs): ST9 (12\/28, 42.86%), ST619 (6\/28, 21.43%), ST8 (6\/28, 21.43%), ST7 (1\/28, 3.57%), ST87 (1\/28, 3.57%), ST121 (1\/28, 3.57%), ST297 (1\/28, 3.57%). ST619 isolates harbored multiple virulence genes, including those located on Listeria pathogenicity islands LIPI-1, LIPI-3, and LIPI-4, indicating high genomic potential for virulence. Representative isolate Y2 (ST619) possessed a 3,009,858 bp genome with 3036 coding genes, four genomic islands, and two prophages. Functional annotation revealed enrichment of genes involved in carbohydrate transport and metabolism and amino acid biosynthesis pathways. Our findings provide the first genomic insight into L. monocytogenes contamination in yak meat from Nyingchi, Xizang, China, highlighting the urgent need to strengthen food safety monitoring and hygiene management in this region.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani16172729","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]],"date-time":"2026-09-02T07:53:11Z","timestamp":1788335591000},"page":"2729","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Molecular Characterization of Listeria monocytogenes Isolated from Retail Yak Meat in Nyingchi, Xizang, China"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Jiaojiao","family":"Xin","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Animal Science, Xizang Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi 860000, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"writing-original-draft","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"formal-analysis","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Yongzhi","family":"Lou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Animal Science, Xizang Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi 860000, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-original-draft","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Sizhu","family":"Suolang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Animal Science, Xizang Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi 860000, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"formal-analysis","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"visualization","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Yuelan","family":"Yin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"funding-acquisition","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"visualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2214-3358","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Xinan","family":"Jiao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"visualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Bujie","family":"Duo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Damxung County Veterinary Station, Lhasa 851500, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"visualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Zhuoga","family":"Baima","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Damxung County Veterinary Station, Lhasa 851500, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"visualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Ga","family":"Gong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Animal Science, Xizang Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi 860000, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"project-administration","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"funding-acquisition","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"resources","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2231","DOI":"10.1007\/s00248-023-02269-9","article-title":"Listeria monocytogenes an Emerging Pathogen: A Comprehensive Overview on Listeriosis, Virulence Determinants, Detection, and Anti-Listerial Interventions","volume":"86","author":"Ravindhiran","year":"2023","journal-title":"Microb. 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