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Bulletin of the Kyrgyz National Agrarian University

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Prevalence and antibiotic resistance of Listeria monocytogenes isolated from livestock products in Kazakhstan

GGulmira KobdikovaSSholpan BaramovaRRysbek NurgazievZZalina LatypovaMMarkhabat Kassenov
Received 04.02.2026
Revised 16.05.2026
Published 15.06.2026

Abstract

Listeria monocytogenes is the causative agent of listeriosis in humans and animals, posing a significant threat to the safety of animal-derived products. The high survival capacity of this bacterium in dairy and meat products, along with potential antimicrobial resistance, necessitated monitoring the prevalence and susceptibility of Listeria isolates in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, species composition, and antimicrobial susceptibility profile of Listeria in animal-derived products collected in 2025. A total of 521 samples of meat and dairy products were examined, collected during cold and warm seasons in Almaty and Almaty region. Listeria isolation was performed using Half Fraser and full-strength Fraser broths, followed by plating on CHROMagar™ Listeria and PALCAM selective media. Species identification was carried out using the CAMP test and biochemical assays. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by the disc diffusion method on Mueller-Hinton agar according to EUCAST guidelines. From 521 samples, 116 Listeria isolates were recovered (22.3%), of which 40 isolates (34.5% of all Listeria and 7.7% of total samples) were identified as L. monocytogenes. The highest number of L. monocytogenes isolates was detected in dairy products – 24 isolates (60.0%), whilst 16 isolates (40.0%) were found in meat products. The CAMP test confirmed the pathogenicity of the isolated strains. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing demonstrated high sensitivity to ampicillin, ampicillin/sulbactam, chloramphenicol, and tetracyclines; however, isolates exhibiting multidrug resistance to benzylpenicillin and linezolid were detected. The findings emphasise the necessity of regular monitoring of L. monocytogenes in livestock products and surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibility to prevent the dissemination of resistant strains

Keywords

foodborne pathogens; antimicrobial resistance; animal-derived products; microbiological contamination; public health risk; phenotypic resistance; food safety monitoring
Suggested citation
Kobdikova, G., Baramova, Sh., Nurgaziev, R., Latypova, Z., & Kassenov, M. (2026). Prevalence and antibiotic resistance of Listeria monocytogenes isolated from livestock products in Kazakhstan. Bulletin of the Kyrgyz National Agrarian University, 24(2), 30-42. https://doi.org/10.63621/bknau./2.2026.30

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