The Isolation, Genetic Analysis and Biofilm Characteristics of Spp. from the Marine Environment in China

is an important pathogen that can cause listeriosis. Despite the growing recognition of spp. as a foodborne and environmental pathogen, the understanding of its prevalence and characteristics of spp. in the marine environment remains unknown. In this study, we first investigated the genetic and phenotypic characteristics of species isolated in a coastal city in China. The findings revealed that the sequence type 87 (ST87) , a prevalent clinical and seafood strain in China, dominates in recreational beach sands and possesses a notable biofilm-forming capacity in seawater. The presence of ST87 in coastal environments indicates the potential health risks for both recreational activities and seafood consumption. Moreover, the ST121 isolates from sand had a versatile plasmid encoding multifunctional genes, including for UV resistance, for salt resistance, and for oxidative resistance and multiple transposases, which potentially aid in survival under natural environments. Black-headed gulls potentially facilitate the spread of , with similar ST35 strains found in gulls and beach sand. As a reservoir of microbes from marine environments and human/animal excrement, coastal sand would play an important role in the spread of and is an environmental risk for human listeriosis.