Woman in Jembrana, Bali, Dies After Being Bitten by a Rabies-Infected Feral Cat

The fatal cat bite incident began in April 2026 when the victim, identified as Sari, was attacked and bitten on her right calf by a feral cat while drying clothes in front of her house. Sari initially ignored the bite wound. A month later, on 23 May 2026, she suddenly fell ill and was rushed to a local community health centre before being referred to Negara General Hospital as her condition deteriorated. Sari displayed classic rabies symptoms, including a severe fear of water and agitation when exposed to drafts of air. She died on 24 May at Negara Regional Hospital and her remains were cremated on 28 May 2026. This incident is the first human rabies case recorded in Tukadaya Village, Melaya District. The victim’s family had not received preventive medical treatment, including the administration of the Anti-Rabies Vaccine, following the cremation. The Head of the Livestock, Animal Health, and Veterinary Public Health Division of Jembrana, I Gusti Ngurah Putu Sugiarta, confirmed he only received official notification from the Jembrana Health Office on Wednesday, 3 June 2026. Because the notification was only recently received, an emergency vaccination effort was initiated on Thursday. Officers carried out emergency vaccinations for 20 dogs and one cat within a 3-kilometre radius of the victim’s home. Additionally, samples were taken from four dogs belonging to local residents for laboratory testing at the Denpasar Veterinary Centre to ascertain the spread of the rabies virus.