Seven people were reported bitten by dogs in the Cemagi area of Mengwi, Badung, during a cluster of incidents on Friday, 4 September 2026. Two of the seven were foreign nationals. Badung health officials say all seven received medical treatment, while agriculture and animal-health officers began searching for the animal suspected in the attacks so its rabies status could be investigated.
01 What happened in Cemagi?
Local reports citing the Badung Health Department and Badung Agriculture and Food Department say the bite incidents happened within a relatively short period on Friday, 4 September in and around Desa Cemagi, Mengwi.
Bali Post reported that the Mengwi animal-health service received an initial village report at about 4:40pm WITA saying a dog had bitten six people. Subsequent health-department reporting put the total number of victims at seven. That difference appears to reflect the initial field report and the later consolidated health count rather than two separate mass-bite incidents.
The final reported group was five Indonesian citizens and two foreign nationals. One foreign victim was reported by Bali Post and Bali Tribune as an Australian who had already returned to Australia by the time of their follow-up reporting. Public reports did not identify the second foreign national.
02 Officials cannot yet say whether one dog caused all seven bites
This is an important detail. Some headlines have naturally referred to “the dog”, because village and agriculture officials were searching for an animal suspected of biting several people. But Badung Health Department head Dr Bagus Padma Puspita said authorities could not yet confirm whether all seven victims had been attacked by the same dog or by more than one animal.
The bites happened at roughly similar times and in the same broader area. Without the animal being located and the individual incidents fully linked, it would be misleading to state as a confirmed fact that one dog attacked all seven people.
03 Badung officers were still searching for the suspected animal
Badung Agriculture and Food Department head Anak Agung Ngurah Raka Sukadana said animal-health officers coordinated with Cemagi village after receiving the report, but the suspected dog had disappeared by the time officers tried to respond.
In a follow-up published by Bali Tribune on 10 September, Raka Sukadana said the department was still waiting for information if the dog was seen again. Officers wanted the animal secured so testing could determine whether rabies was involved.
That matters because, without the animal being recovered and assessed, authorities cannot establish its rabies status from the bite reports alone. A dog bite is a potential rabies exposure that deserves urgent treatment; it is not proof that the animal is rabid.
04 All seven victims received medical care
Badung health officials said the seven victims were treated at different facilities, including local health centres and Rabies Center services. One of the foreign victims reportedly chose further care at a private hospital in line with their insurance cover.
Bali Post and Bali Tribune reported that all seven had received initial treatment and Vaksin Anti Rabies (VAR) — anti-rabies vaccine as a precaution. Dr Bagus Padma Puspita also said initial assessments indicated that most victims did not have wounds in areas considered especially high risk, but follow-up care continued according to medical assessment.
The important practical point is not to try to judge a bite yourself based on how small it looks or whether the dog “seemed normal”. Rabies post-exposure treatment is time-sensitive and should be assessed by a health professional.
05 What to do if a dog bites or scratches you in Bali
Indonesia’s Ministry of Health gives clear first-aid guidance for bites, scratches or saliva exposure from animals capable of transmitting rabies:
- Wash the wound immediately for 15 minutes with soap or detergent and running water.
- Apply an antiseptic after thorough washing if one is available.
- Go promptly to a Puskesmas, hospital or Rabies Center for assessment and post-exposure treatment.
- Anti-rabies vaccine and, where medically indicated, anti-rabies serum may be required. Follow the treatment schedule given by clinicians.
- Report the animal to local animal-health authorities so it can be safely located and assessed where possible.
Do not wait for symptoms and do not assume a familiar-looking or owned dog is automatically safe. Equally, residents should not attempt to capture an aggressive or unknown dog themselves; pass location details to village or animal-health officers.
06 “Rabies risk” is not the same as “rabies confirmed”
The Cemagi incident is being treated seriously because Bali is a rabies-risk area and the animal was not immediately available for assessment. But none of the sources we checked reported a positive rabies result for the dog involved in these bites.
Warta Bali Online reported that the dog’s health status could not be confirmed before it was found and observed or tested. That distinction matters. Reporting the incident as a “rabid dog attack” would go beyond the available evidence.
For residents and visitors, the safer rule is simple: treat every unexplained dog bite or scratch as something that needs immediate medical assessment, regardless of whether rabies has been confirmed in the animal.
07 What Cemagi residents and regular visitors should know
Cemagi is a lived-in village area as well as a growing residential and visitor zone, so the story is relevant to people walking dogs, running, cycling, riding scooters or simply moving around local roads — not just holidaymakers.
Badung Health Department urged people not to panic, while still asking the public to remain vigilant and seek immediate treatment after any bite or scratch from an animal with unknown health status.
If you believe you see the animal connected to the incident, the useful action is to note the location and contact local village or animal-health authorities rather than trying to corner it. And if you have a pet dog in Bali, keeping its rabies vaccination current is one of the simplest ways to reduce risk for the wider community.
