In depth genomic analyses of lyssaviruses Lyssaviruses the causative agents of rabies are a long known threat for animals and humans. To date terrestrial rabies still accounts for tens of thousands of human deaths annually notwithstanding ambitious vaccination campaigns targeting susceptible dog and wildlife populations that act as reservoirs for the prototypic rabies virus. Moreover the continuing discovery of newly emerging virus species in hitherto unconcerned chiropteran hosts and geographic regions drive the expansion of the Lyssavirus genus by unveiling its actual variety host range and distribution.In this work the genetic diversity of three distinct lyssaviruses namely EBLV 1 KBLV and RABV was elucidated by in depth genomic analyses to provide further insight into lyssavirus evolution. The generation of full genome sequences from primarily bat associated Danish EBLV 1 samples significantly increased the number of available Danish EBLV 1 genome sequences while phylogenetic and phylogeographic analysis revealed a stronger phylogeographic structure for the cluster A1 of the sublineage EBLV 1a than it was postulated in previous studies. In addition the acquisition of a nearly complete genome sequence for the Kotalahti bat lyssavirus provided the basis for the classification of this putative new lyssavirus species as a recognized member of the genus. Furthermore phylogenetic analysis revealed the affiliation of KBLV to a group of Myotis associated lyssaviruses giving a deeper insight into the shared ... Sequenzanalyse Virologie Zoonose Rabies Genom Genetic diversity Ion Torrent Lyssavirus Next Generation Sequencing