Bali Declares Rabies Red Zones in Tourist Areas as Vaccination Efforts Intensify

South Kuta and Parts of Canggu Face Rabies Alerts

Bali has declared several popular tourist areas rabies red zones after a rise in animal bites and confirmed infections among dogs. As of July 22, 2025, affected locations include South Kuta, Nusa Dua, Jimbaran and parts of the Canggu area, bringing urgent vaccination campaigns and health warnings to places visited by large numbers of international travellers.

South Kuta's affected areas include Tanjung Benoa, Nusa Dua and Jimbaran Bay. Parts of Mengwi District, including Pererenan Beach and Seseh in the wider Canggu area, are also covered. Cases have been reported in Ubud and Gianyar Regency, extending concern beyond the southern beach resorts to cultural destinations elsewhere on the island.

Local protocols allow a village to be designated a red zone after just one confirmed animal case. The designation means rabies is circulating among animals and authorities need to act quickly to contain it. Recent weeks have brought positive tests in at least one or two dogs in each of several affected villages.

Rabies attacks the central nervous system, including the brain, and is almost always fatal once symptoms appear. Prompt treatment after exposure can prevent the disease. For residents and visitors, the immediate priorities are avoiding animal contact and seeking urgent medical care after a bite or scratch.

Authorities have stepped up animal vaccination, sterilization, surveillance and public education. Bali has also activated 103 rabies treatment centres, while travel advice from the United States, United Kingdom and Australia urges caution around animals and preparation for medical treatment if an exposure occurs.

The renewed alerts come despite years of control efforts on an island that remains a popular destination for travellers from around the world.

Why a Single Infected Dog Triggers Action

Anak Agung Istri Brahmi Witari, acting head of animal health for the Badung Agriculture and Food Service, said officials respond even when the number of confirmed infections in an area is small. She described vaccination and sweeps as immediate measures to limit further spread.

"Even though there are only one or two cases per region, we take it seriously. We immediately carried out vaccinations and sweeps. What is important is not the number of cases, but the potential for spread," Witari said.

Witari identified the density of stray dogs and local terrain as contributing risks. In South Kuta, areas of bushes provide places where stray dogs nest, making animal control more difficult.

A red zone declaration brings several measures: immediate control of the affected area, restrictions on animal movement, vaccination within a specified radius, increased surveillance and testing, and public health campaigns. In some cases, authorities also selectively cull stray dogs suspected of having rabies.

These interventions aim to stop infected animals passing the virus to other animals or people. The practical effect for dog owners is a stronger need to keep animals under control, maintain vaccination and cooperate with local campaigns.

What the Bite and Death Figures Show

From January to March 2025, more than 13,000 reported rabies cases and at least 25 deaths following bites from infected animals were recorded. Bali has the highest number of rabies cases in Indonesia, and most human cases result from dog bites.

Bali's provincial health authorities reported that more than 39,000 people were bitten by animals carrying rabies in 2024. Dogs accounted for about 90 percent of those bites, making them the main focus of animal vaccination and public warnings.

The World Health Organization says rabies remains endemic in 26 Indonesian provinces. Endemic means the disease continues to circulate in a place over time. Bali remains a persistent hotspot, with large numbers of stray and community dogs complicating efforts to stop transmission.

Children are often among the victims. Some bites go unreported, particularly in communities with lower incomes where awareness and access to healthcare may be limited. An unreported bite can mean a missed opportunity to obtain preventive treatment.

The figures and control measures span several periods:

• In 2024, Bali recorded more than 39,000 people bitten by animals carrying rabies, with about 90 percent of bites attributed to dogs.
• From January to March 2025, more than 13,000 reported rabies cases and at least 25 deaths followed bites from infected animals.
• In the weeks before July 22, 2025, at least one or two dogs in each of several affected villages tested positive, prompting local vaccination and containment measures.
• By July 22, 2025, red zone alerts covered several popular tourist areas, and 103 rabies treatment centres had been activated across Bali.

Why Vaccination Coverage Remains a Problem

Bali has an estimated 500,000 stray dogs. Many dogs live communally rather than belonging to a formally identified owner, roaming between neighbourhoods and mixing with pets and other strays. That movement makes consistent vaccination and monitoring difficult.

About 55 percent of the dog population is vaccinated, below the 70 percent threshold needed for herd immunity. The difference is 15 percentage points. Herd immunity means enough animals are protected to make it harder for the virus to keep spreading through the population.

The cost of animal vaccination and a lack of enforcement make it difficult for many residents to keep pets protected. Informal sales of unvaccinated dogs, along with breeders selling animals without proper vaccination, also weaken control efforts.

Public attitudes add another difficulty. Some residents do not see rabies as a serious threat, while children may fail to tell an adult about a bite. Some owners abandon sick dogs out of fear, adding to the population of unvaccinated animals roaming freely.

Bali's social and environmental conditions, including its large community dog population and relaxed attitudes towards animal control, help explain why the disease has persisted despite repeated campaigns. Moving unvaccinated animals between areas can carry the risk into places where vaccination teams have already worked.

Vaccination Teams Target Areas Below 70 Percent

Bali's government has launched emergency mass vaccination and sterilization campaigns for both owned and stray dogs in red zones. Animal welfare groups are working alongside officials, including in busy tourist areas such as Nusa Dua and Jimbaran Bay.

Witari said emergency teams are dispatched when vaccination coverage in an area falls below 70 percent. She also urged owners to control their dogs and keep vaccinations current.

"Vaccination is protection for us and pets. We urge the public not to let their dogs roam. If you have a dog, it must be handled or tied up. Rabies vaccination must also be done every year," Witari emphasized.

Bali follows the WHO's Stepwise Approach to Rabies Elimination, known as SARE. The framework focuses on coordination across sectors, surveillance and rapid responses to outbreaks. In practice, the response brings together work on animal infections, human exposure and public awareness.

The government has also established a dedicated task force to treat bite wounds, provide vaccines and educate communities. Australia is supporting local control efforts through a bilateral programme administering 200,000 vaccines a year.

Community involvement remains central to these campaigns. Owners need to make their dogs available for vaccination, prevent roaming and respond quickly when an animal becomes ill. Greater participation and stricter controls on breeding and vaccination are needed to support the wider effort.

Why Culling Has Drawn Criticism

Bali's control efforts have included mass vaccination and the culling of stray dogs. Vaccination has reduced cases, while culling has drawn criticism from animal welfare groups and tourists because it can disrupt the immunity built up in dog populations.

The Bali Animal Welfare Association has taken part in mass vaccination and public education. Its co-founder, Janice Girardi, described the results of an earlier campaign and criticised the subsequent return to culling.

"Our island-wide program had effectively reduced canine rabies by 86 percent, and then the government took over and went back to culling dogs, losing the much-needed herd immunity we had established," said Janice Girardi, co-founder of the association.

The association's experience supports vaccination as the most effective way to control rabies. Sustaining protection requires repeated attention to dogs that have not been vaccinated, including animals that roam freely or move between communities.

Selective culling nevertheless remains part of the local response in some cases involving stray dogs suspected of infection. Vaccination, sterilization and surveillance are also being used as authorities seek to contain the latest cases.

What Travel Advisories Tell Visitors

The United States, United Kingdom and Australia have issued travel advice urging visitors to take precautions against rabies. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade advise avoiding animal contact and obtaining immediate care after a bite or scratch.

Travellers are also advised to consider vaccination before departure, particularly for long stays, visits to rural areas or activities likely to bring them close to animals. Travel insurance should cover rabies exposure and treatment.

Australian authorities have highlighted the rise in cases in tourist areas and urged visitors to report bites or scratches promptly. UK advice warns that rabies vaccines can be difficult to obtain in remote locations and recommends staying in urban areas or carrying essential medication.

Urban areas generally offer easier access to medical facilities. Visitors should identify nearby treatment options before an emergency and report animal bites or scratches to local health authorities.

Dogs are the main source of human rabies cases in Bali, but the virus can also be transmitted through bites or scratches from monkeys and other mammals. Precautions therefore extend to dogs, cats, monkeys and other animals, including those that appear friendly.

Animal attractions require the same caution. Visitors to places such as the Ubud Monkey Forest and Uluwatu Temple should avoid animal contact rather than assuming an animal is safe because it is accustomed to people.

What to Do After a Bite or Scratch

A person bitten or scratched by an animal should wash the wound thoroughly with soap and running water for at least 15 minutes, apply disinfectant and seek medical care immediately. Reporting the incident promptly is also part of the recommended response.

Medical treatment after possible exposure is called post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP. It typically involves a series of rabies vaccine injections. In severe cases, human rabies immunoglobulin is also administered. Immunoglobulin supplies antibodies that help protect the person while the vaccine builds an immune response.

Rabies is preventable with prompt, appropriate treatment. Once symptoms appear, however, the disease is almost always fatal. The opportunity to prevent illness is therefore the period after exposure and before symptoms develop.

Vaccination before travel is a separate precaution for people whose plans may expose them to animals. Visitors considering it include those staying for extended periods, travelling in rural areas or undertaking outdoor activities. Immediate medical assessment remains part of the advice after any bite or scratch.

Bali's 103 activated rabies treatment centres are intended to support access to vaccines and immunoglobulins through major hospitals and clinics. Availability can vary, particularly in rural areas, and shortages have occurred in the past. Current stock at each facility has not been specified.

Major treatment locations identified in Bali include Sanglah General Hospital, BIMC Hospital, Kasih Ibu Hospital and Trishnanda Care Centre. Knowing where to seek care can help residents and visitors act promptly when an exposure occurs.

Families Face the Consequences of Animal Bites

A recent case in Klungkung involved a woman aged 54 who collapsed after being bitten by her own dog, which was infected with rabies. She received both anti-rabies serum and vaccine. The incident illustrates the risk to owners as well as people encountering unfamiliar animals.

Authorities responded by vaccinating 120 dogs in her village and euthanizing 16 street dogs suspected of having rabies. The local response combined vaccination with the removal of animals considered a possible infection risk.

In Gianyar, a child aged four died after being bitten by a stray dog. The death underlines the danger to children, who are among those affected by bites and may not always report an encounter.

Residents face a continuing need to vaccinate pets, control their movement and seek care after exposure. Visitors face the same urgency after a bite, even during a short holiday in a resort area.

Bali's effort to eliminate rabies depends on sustained vaccination, community participation and adequate resources. High numbers of roaming dogs, inconsistent enforcement, movement of unvaccinated animals, limited awareness and occasional shortages of human vaccines and immunoglobulins continue to make that work difficult.

Vaccines make rabies a preventable disease. Keeping animal protection high and ensuring people receive prompt treatment after exposure remain the central tasks as authorities respond to infections in some of the island's busiest destinations.

Key Points

• As of July 22, 2025, rabies red zones include South Kuta, Nusa Dua, Jimbaran and parts of the Canggu area. Cases have also been reported in Ubud and Gianyar Regency.
• A single confirmed animal case can trigger a village red zone designation and urgent containment measures.
• About 55 percent of Bali's dogs are vaccinated, below the 70 percent threshold needed for herd immunity.
• Authorities are conducting animal vaccination and sterilization campaigns, supported by surveillance, public education and 103 activated rabies treatment centres.
• Travellers and residents should avoid contact with animals, including dogs, cats and monkeys, even when they appear friendly.
• After a bite or scratch, wash the wound with soap and running water for at least 15 minutes, apply disinfectant and seek immediate medical care.
• Prompt preventive treatment can stop rabies developing, but the disease is almost always fatal once symptoms appear.