Genomic Characterization of and Other Species Isolated from Sea Turtles.

is a ubiquitous pathogen found both in the environment and food. It can cause listeriosis in a wide range of animals as well as in humans. Investigations on presence, spread and virulence are still limited to terrestrial and human environments. Embracing the One Health Approach, investigating the presence and spread of in marine ecosystems and among wildlife, would provide us with useful information for human health. This study investigated the presence of and spp. in two species of sea turtles common in the Mediterranean Sea ( and ). A total of one hundred and sixty-four carcasses of sea turtles ( = 161 and = 3) stranded along the Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, and Calabria coasts, were collected. Brain and fecal samples were taken, enriched, and cultured for the detection of spp. From the specimens collected, strains of (brain = 1, brain and feces = 1, multiorgan = 1 and feces = 1), (feces = 1 and brain = 1), and (brain = 1) were isolated. Typical colonies were isolated for Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS). Virulence genes, disinfectants/metal resistance, and antimicrobial resistance were also investigated. , and were detected in , whilst only and in . Notable among the results is the lack of significant differences in gene distribution between human and sea turtle strains. Furthermore, potentially pathogenic strains of were found in sea turtles.