JEMBRANA, Bali — A mother and her two children in Jembrana were bitten on separate days by their four-month-old pet puppy, which was later confirmed to have rabies, local authorities said.

The incidents took place earlier this month in Anyar Sari, Baler Bale Agung, Negara district.

The mother, Ni Komang Ayu Suarniti, 42, was bitten on September 8 while bathing the puppy. The wound did not bleed heavily, but it left a scratch and caused pain.

Her 15-year-old son was bitten on the thumb four days later and suffered a bleeding wound that required medical treatment. Another son, aged 23, was then bitten on September 13.

The puppy died the following day.

Animal health officers collected a brain sample and sent it to the Denpasar Veterinary Center for laboratory testing.

The result later confirmed that the puppy was positive for rabies, according to I Gusti Ngurah Putu Sugiarta, head of livestock and animal health at Jembrana’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Agency.

“There were five samples that we sent, including one cat and four dogs. Three tested positive, all involving dog-bite cases in Jembrana, Negara and Melaya,” Sugiarta said.

The Jembrana government plans to carry out emergency rabies vaccinations in the three affected areas in an effort to reduce further transmission.

Authorities have also urged residents whose puppies have not yet been vaccinated to contact local veterinary officers.

According to Sugiarta, Jembrana had recorded 73 rabies-positive dog-bite cases in 2026 through September, around 30% fewer than during the same period last year.

The latest cases come after Jembrana recorded 71 rabies cases through August, showing that new infections are still being detected despite ongoing vaccination efforts.

Rabies is a viral disease that affects the central nervous system and is usually transmitted through the bite or scratch of an infected animal.