Puppy that Bit Mother and Two Children in Jembrana Tests Positive for Rabies

A puppy that bit a mother and two children in the Anyar Sari neighbourhood, Baler Bale Agung, Negara District, Jembrana, has tested positive for rabies. The dog’s status was confirmed following laboratory testing by the Denpasar Large Veterinary Centre (BBVet).

The Jembrana Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food submitted five samples to the BBVet Denpasar. In addition to the samples from the biting incident involving the mother and two children in Negara District, two other positive samples originated from separate dog bite cases in Melaya and Jembrana Districts.

“We sent five samples, including one cat and four dogs. Three tested positive, all of which were dog bite cases located in the Jembrana, Negara, and Melaya Districts,” stated I Gusti Ngurah Putu Sugiarta, Head of Livestock and Animal Health at the Jembrana Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, when confirmed on Sunday (20/09/2026).

Following these results, Sugiarta urged pet owners with unvaccinated puppies to report immediately to the relevant officials. “Communication, Information, and Education (KIE) efforts are needed to socialise with the community. Those who have unvaccinated puppies should quickly contact our veterinary medics in their respective districts to receive vaccinations,” Sugiastarta added.

The Jembrana Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food will organise emergency vaccinations in the areas where positive cases were found to break the chain of virus transmission and establish herd immunity.

“Vaccinations in the three positive case locations are scheduled to be carried out immediately. From 2026 up until this September, there have been 73 positive rabies dog bite cases. This figure is still a 30 per cent decrease from last year,” Sugiarta explained.

It was previously reported that cases of suspected rabies dog bites have been terrorising residents of Jembrana Regency, Bali. On this occasion, a family consisting of a mother and her two biological children fell victim to bites from their own pet puppy.

The incident involved Ni Komang Ayu Suarniti (42) and her two children, Conradus Febatan Tri Sandi (15) and Dominika Sanyo Bayu (23). Suarniti was first attacked while bathing the pet puppy in the Anyar Sari neighbourhood, Baler Bale Agung, Negara District, on Tuesday (08/09/2026).