Puppy that bit mother and two children in Jembrana confirmed rabies‑positive

Negara, Jembrana — Sunday, 20 September 2026 (wita) — A four‑month‑old puppy that bit a mother and her two children in Baler Bale Agung, Jembrana, has tested positive for rabies, according to the Jembrana Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Agency. The infection was confirmed after a brain sample was examined at the Denpasar Veterinary Research Center (Balai Besar Veteriner/BBVet Denpasar), local media reported.

The incident occurred on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, in Lingkungan Anyar Sari, Baler Bale Agung, Negara district. The victims were identified in several reports as Ni Komang Ayu Suarniti, 42, and her children Conradus Febatan Tri Sandi, 15, and Dominika Sanyo Bayu, 23.

I Gusti Ngurah Putu Sugiarta, head of the Livestock and Animal Health Division at the Jembrana Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Agency, confirmed the positive test result on Sunday, 20 September 2026, according to statements carried by Detik Bali and Balipost.

Three of five samples positive

Sugiarta said the agency had sent five animal samples to BBVet Denpasar for rabies testing, consisting of four dogs and one cat. Three of the samples, all from dogs, tested positive for rabies.

Besides the puppy from Lingkungan Anyar Sari in Negara, the other positive cases involved a six‑month‑old mixed‑breed dog in Banjar Munduk, Pohsanten village, Mendoyo district, and a three‑year‑old local male dog in Banjar Moding Kaja, Candikusuma village, Melaya district, according to reports quoting Sugiarta. Both animals had attacked or bitten residents in their respective areas.

Local media reports did not name the residents involved in the two additional cases or provide further details on their medical treatment.

Sugiarta said Jembrana had recorded 73 confirmed rabies cases in dogs as of mid‑September 2026, with the latest laboratory results included in that tally. He noted that the 2026 figure was around 30 percent lower than the comparable figure from the previous year, without providing full annual totals.

Emergency vaccination campaign

Veterinary teams have begun emergency rabies vaccination around locations linked to the confirmed cases, aiming to reduce transmission among high‑risk animals and build herd immunity, according to local coverage of the agency’s response.

RRI reported that the Kecamatan Negara veterinary medical team vaccinated three high‑risk pets (hewan penular rabies/HPR) around Lingkungan Anyar Sari on Friday, 18 September 2026. Officials said the number of animals targeted was based in part on the relatively low population density in the immediate area.

According to Sugiarta, veterinary personnel plan further emergency vaccination at the three locations associated with the positive samples in Negara, Jembrana and Melaya districts. Residents keeping unvaccinated dogs or puppies have been asked to contact veterinary medical teams in their sub‑districts so animals can be assessed and, if necessary, vaccinated.

The puppy involved in the Baler Bale Agung incident had not received a rabies vaccination prior to the attacks. Tribun Bali reported that veterinary workers did not meet the owner during an earlier vaccination visit because the house was empty at the time.

Sequence of the family incident

According to RRI and Tribun Bali, Suarniti was first bitten on 8 September while bathing the puppy at her home in Lingkungan Anyar Sari. Her 15‑year‑old child was bitten in a subsequent incident, and her 23‑year‑old child was bitten on Sunday, 13 September.

The puppy died the day after the third incident, prompting the family to report the case to veterinary authorities. A brain sample was taken on Monday, 14 September, for laboratory examination. Local media state that the positive laboratory result was received on the night of Friday, 18 September, and publicly confirmed by the agency on Sunday, 20 September.

Available reports from Detik Bali, Balipost, Tribun Bali and RRI do not specify whether the three family members received rabies post‑exposure treatment, nor do they describe their current medical condition.

Sources

• Detik Bali
• Balipost
• Tribun Bali (suspek and incident coverage)
• RRI Singaraja – incident report