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Introduction: Bastroviruses were discovered in the Netherlands in 2016 in human stool samples and show partial genetic similarities to astroviruses and hepatitis E viruses. Their association with disease onset has not yet been established., Materials and Methods: Metagenomic sequencing of fecal samples of Nyctalus noctula bats collected in the Russian Federation in 2023 was performed. Two almost complete genomes of bastroviruses were assembled. The zoonotic potential of these viruses was assessed using machine learning methods, their recombination was studied, and phylogenetic trees were constructed., Results: A nearly complete bastrovirus genome was de novo assembled in one of the samples, and it was used to assemble another genome in another sample. The zoonotic potential of the virus from one of these samples was estimated as high. The existence of recombination between structural and non-structural polyproteins was demonstrated., Conclusion: Two bastrovirus genomes were assembled, phylogenetic and recombination analyses were performed, and the zoonotic potential was evaluated.

Next-generation sequencing technologies have revolutionized the field of virology by enabling the reading of complete viral genomes, extensive metagenomic studies, and the identification of novel viral pathogens. Although metagenomic sequencing has the advantage of not requiring specific probes or primers, it faces significant challenges in analyzing data and identifying novel viruses. Traditional bioinformatics tools for sequence identification mainly depend on homology-based strategies, which may not allow the detection of a virus significantly different from known variants due to the extensive genetic diversity and rapid evolution of viruses. In this work, we performed metagenomic analysis of bat feces from different Russian cities and identified a wide range of viral pathogens. We then selected sequences with minimal homology to a known picornavirus and used "Switching Mechanism at the 5' end of RNA Template" technology to obtain a longer genome fragment, allowing for more reliable identification. This study emphasizes the importance of integrating advanced computational methods with experimental strategies for identifying unknown viruses to better understand the viral universe.

Introduction: Puumala virus (family Hantaviridae , genus Orthohantavirus ) is distributed in most regions of the European part of Russia. However, information about its genetic variants circulating on the territory of the Central Federal District is extremely scarce., Materials and Methods: Rodents' tissue samples were tested after reverse transcription by PCR for the presence of hantaviral RNA. The amplified fragments of the L segment were sequenced by the Sanger method. For two samples, sequences of all three segments were obtained using the NGS method. Phylogenetic trees were built in the MEGA-X software., Results: Puumala virus was found in six samples. Based on the phylogenetic analysis of sequences of three segments, the obtained genetic variants belong to the sublineage previously designated as W-RUS., Conclusion: A genetic variant of the Puumala virus, belonging to the subline W-RUS, circulates on the territory of the Volokolamsk district of Moscow region.