[Lissavirus in bats residing in the South of West Siberia].

We caught, 2002-2003 in caves of Novosibirsk Region and Altai Territory, 52 bats (Myotis daubentoni, Myotis brandtii, Murina leucogaster, Plecotus auritus). Examinations of the animals' brain samples by fluorescence antibody microscopy and RT-PCR revealed lyssaviruses, genotype 1, which were close to strains provoking rabies in the local animals. According to the results, bats can be involved in keeping alive the rabies foci in Western Siberia, which must be taken into account in antiepizootic measures.