News update · 17 September 2026 · 14:05 WITA. Bali Provincial Health Department data reported by Bali Post shows 52,645 GHPR bite cases across the island through 11 September 2026, with seven human deaths from rabies. The bite count is a surveillance figure — it is not a count of 52,645 confirmed human rabies infections.

Rabies remains a real public-health risk in Bali, even though most animal bites do not become rabies cases. The latest provincial figures show tens of thousands of people have reported bites from animals classed as capable of transmitting rabies this year. Health officials are again urging people not to wait for symptoms after a bite or scratch.

The short version Through 11 September, Bali recorded 52,645 cases of gigitan hewan penular rabies (GHPR) — bites involving animals that can transmit rabies. Of those, 39,193 were recorded in the diVAR treatment category, meaning anti-rabies vaccine treatment was recorded for those cases in the health reporting system. Bali recorded seven human rabies deaths in the same period. If you are bitten or scratched by a dog, cat, monkey or other potentially rabies-transmitting animal, wash the wound with soap and running water for 15 minutes and seek medical care promptly.

01 The latest Bali rabies-surveillance numbers

Bali Post reported the new figures on 17 September, citing the Bali Provincial Health Department's Prevention and Disease Control division. The data covers the period from the start of 2026 through 11 September.

Across Bali's nine regencies and city, health authorities recorded 52,645 GHPR bite cases. GHPR is the Indonesian public-health category for bites from animals that can transmit rabies. The report says an average of about 219 bites a day has been recorded.

Within that total, 39,193 cases were listed in the diVAR category. In Bali health reporting, VAR refers to Vaksin Anti Rabies, or anti-rabies vaccine, used as post-exposure treatment. That number should not be read as 39,193 laboratory-confirmed human rabies infections.

02 Badung has the highest reported bite count

Badung — home to much of South Bali's tourism belt — recorded the highest GHPR total, with 9,961 cases through 11 September. The district breakdown reported from the provincial dataset was:

  • Badung: 9,961 GHPR cases
  • Karangasem: 6,566
  • Denpasar: 6,480
  • Gianyar: 5,949
  • Tabanan: 5,894
  • Buleleng: 5,687
  • Jembrana: 5,622
  • Klungkung: 3,728
  • Bangli: 2,758

A high bite count does not mean the same number of infected animals or human rabies cases. It reflects reported exposure to animals in the rabies-transmission category and the health response that follows.

03 Seven human rabies deaths have been recorded in 2026

The provincial data shows seven deaths from rabies through 11 September, compared with 16 deaths across all of 2025. Buleleng recorded three of this year's deaths, while Jembrana, Tabanan, Gianyar and Karangasem recorded one each. No rabies deaths were listed for Badung, Denpasar, Bangli or Klungkung in the update.

The Bali Health Department's disease-control chief quoted in the report stressed that people who are bitten should not wait for symptoms before seeking help. Once clinical rabies develops, the disease is overwhelmingly fatal; prevention depends on rapid wound cleaning and appropriate post-exposure treatment.

04 What to do after a dog, cat or monkey bite or scratch

Indonesia's Ministry of Health advises immediate action after a bite or scratch from a dog, cat, monkey or another animal that can transmit rabies:

  • Wash the wound immediately with soap or detergent and running water for 15 minutes.
  • Apply an antiseptic after thorough washing.
  • Go promptly to a Puskesmas, hospital or Rabies Center for assessment and post-exposure treatment.
  • Report the biting animal to the relevant animal-health authority when possible so it can be assessed or observed safely.

Do not use the animal's appearance or the size of the wound as a reason to delay medical assessment. Travellers should also seek treatment in Bali rather than waiting until they return home if an exposure occurs during their trip.

05 Bali is expanding vaccination and animal-control work

The human-health response is only one part of rabies control. On 5 September, Bali's provincial government used the island-wide Tumpek Uye observance to support rabies vaccination and mass sterilisation of rabies-transmitting animals across multiple locations, alongside public education about the disease.

The provincial government says animal vaccination, responsible ownership and population control are part of the effort to reduce transmission at its source. Bali also maintains a dedicated 2026 rabies-information page through the provincial BPBD, while the Health Department tracks bite treatment and vaccine availability.

For residents, that means keeping pet vaccinations current and preventing dogs from roaming. For visitors, the practical message is simpler: avoid feeding, touching or handling unfamiliar dogs and monkeys, and treat any bite or scratch as a medical issue rather than a holiday inconvenience.

06 What the numbers do — and do not — tell us

The latest figures show that exposure remains common and that Bali's health system is using large volumes of post-exposure treatment. They do not mean that 52,645 people have rabies, or that every animal involved in a GHPR report was confirmed rabid.

The strongest signal is the combination of continued bite reports and seven deaths. That is why both human post-exposure care and animal vaccination matter. Bali has made rabies control a continuing island-wide programme, but the latest data is a reminder that the disease has not disappeared.

07 Sources