Dog Suspected of Rabies Bites Five Residents of Oelfatu Village, Kupang

Five residents of Oelfatu Village, Amfoang Barat Laut District, Kupang Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), have been reported to have been bitten by dogs suspected of being rabid. The incident occurred on Monday, 18 May 2026.

The biting incidents involving a dog have been happening since yesterday. As of today, five people have been bitten, Amfoang Barat Laut sub-district head Imran Kusuma said when contacted by detikBali on Tuesday, 18 May 2026.

Imran identified the five people as Paman Saleh, Jack Sae, Win Fomeni, Petrus Buknoni, and Deli Banu. The five were bitten while going about activities at their respective homes. Of the five victims, two are teachers.

The bites have mostly occurred inside homes. There are a high school and an elementary school teacher among them, if I’m not mistaken, but the most recent victim was Mr Petrus Buknoni, a teacher at SMA Negeri 1 Amfoang Barat Laut, Imran said.

According to Imran, the victims have already received medical treatment at the Soliu Community Health Centre (Puskesmas Soliu) in the form of anti-rabies vaccination (VAR). Imran said he had coordinated with livestock and animal health officers together with every village head to locate the dog.

‘So, once the dog is located, its blood sample will be tested to determine whether it is infected with rabies or not,’ Imran added.

He stressed that they are currently awaiting the arrival of Puskeswan officers to conduct mass vaccination of pet dogs in six villages in Amfoang Barat Laut, namely Soliu, Oelfatu, Saukibe, Timau, Honuk and Faumes.

‘T naturally, we urge the community to be more cautious as the bites occurred at home, so houses should be fenced and kept locked while at home. That is mandatory,’ Imran added.