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Quick answer
Key points
- Rabies is caused by a virus spread in an infected animal's saliva, usually through bites, scratches or contact with wounds and mucous membranes.
- In Indonesia, dogs, cats and monkeys are among the main animals that spread rabies.
- Once symptoms appear, rabies is virtually always fatal. Prompt care after exposure prevents death.
- Do not wait for symptoms or judge by how the animal looks. A health worker decides whether you need vaccine.
In this guide (9)
Start with these steps
- Wash the wound straight away with soap and running water for 15 minutes.
- Go at once to the nearest puskesmas, hospital or Rabies Center, even if the wound looks minor. Call 119 if the injury is severe.
- Note when and where it happened, the kind of animal, its owner, its rabies vaccination status if known, and the type of contact.
- Tell the health worker where the animal is so the animal-health service can observe it.
- Do not try to catch a wild or ownerless animal yourself.
- If you are vaccinated, complete the schedule your health worker gives you.
Is rabies a virus or bacteria, and how does it spread?
Rabies is an acute infectious disease of the central nervous system caused by a virus (a lyssavirus), not bacteria. WHO explains that it spreads through saliva, usually via bites, scratches or direct contact with mucous membranes such as the eyes, mouth or open wounds. It can infect mammals, including dogs, cats, livestock and wildlife.
Kemenkes names dogs, cats, monkeys and bats as the main animals that spread rabies. Wild animals and pets not vaccinated against rabies carry a higher risk.
Evidence: WHO — Rabies fact sheet ↗ · Kemenkes Ditjen Kesehatan Lanjutan — Mengenal penyakit rabies ↗
What should I do after an animal bite or scratch?
WHO says anyone bitten or scratched by a potentially rabid animal should immediately wash the wound with water and soap for at least 15 minutes and seek medical attention. Kemenkes asks people to wash bite wounds straight away with soap and running water for 15 minutes, then go to the nearest health facility for rabies vaccine (Vaksin Anti Rabies, VAR) as soon as possible.
Washing does not replace an assessment. A 2025 Kemenkes circular names puskesmas, hospitals and Rabies Centers as the facilities that manage bite cases. Ask your puskesmas or district health office where the nearest Rabies Center is.
Evidence: WHO — Rabies fact sheet ↗ · Kemenkes — Kemenkes urges stronger rabies prevention (2025) ↗ · Kemenkes — Surat Edaran HK.02.02/C/508/2025 tentang Kewaspadaan terhadap Kasus Rabies ↗
Will I definitely need a rabies vaccine?
A health worker decides. WHO sorts contact into three categories. Touching or feeding an animal, or licks on intact skin, is not an exposure. Nibbles on uncovered skin or minor scratches without bleeding need vaccine. Bites or scratches that break the skin, or saliva on mucous membranes or broken skin, need vaccine and, when indicated, rabies immunoglobulin.
The Kemenkes circular says vaccine may be deferred only when all conditions are met, including that the animal looks healthy, has an owner, was vaccinated regularly in the past year and can be observed for 14 days. So do not decide for yourself based on how the animal looks.
Evidence: WHO — Rabies fact sheet ↗ · Kemenkes — Surat Edaran HK.02.02/C/508/2025 tentang Kewaspadaan terhadap Kasus Rabies ↗
What happens to the dog or cat that bit?
According to the Kemenkes circular, the animal-health service can observe the biting animal for 14 days. If it shows signs of rabies or dies, that service contacts the health office so the person is vaccinated promptly.
Kemenkes says signs of rabies in animals vary, including changed behaviour, seeking cool and solitary places, aggression or biting at moving objects, excessive drooling, seizures and paralysis. Do not approach such an animal; report where it is to the authorities.
Evidence: Kemenkes — Surat Edaran HK.02.02/C/508/2025 tentang Kewaspadaan terhadap Kasus Rabies ↗ · Kemenkes — Ini yang harus dilakukan jika digigit hewan penular rabies (2019) ↗
How big is the rabies risk in Indonesia?
A March 2025 Kemenkes circular lists 26 of Indonesia's 38 provinces as rabies-endemic, with 185,359 bites by rabies-carrying animals and 122 human deaths in 2024. WHO stresses that rabies is virtually 100% fatal once clinical symptoms appear. Incubation is typically 2–3 months but can range from one week to one year, so do not wait for symptoms.
Prevention starts with the animals: Kemenkes says pet owners must have their pets vaccinated against rabies regularly.
Evidence: Kemenkes — Surat Edaran HK.02.02/C/508/2025 tentang Kewaspadaan terhadap Kasus Rabies ↗ · WHO — Rabies fact sheet ↗ · Kemenkes — Kemenkes urges stronger rabies prevention (2025) ↗
Sources & references
- WHO — Rabies fact sheet ↗
- Kemenkes — Kemenkes urges stronger rabies prevention (2025) ↗
- Kemenkes — Surat Edaran HK.02.02/C/508/2025 tentang Kewaspadaan terhadap Kasus Rabies ↗
- Kemenkes Ditjen Kesehatan Lanjutan — Mengenal penyakit rabies ↗
- Kemenkes — Ini yang harus dilakukan jika digigit hewan penular rabies (2019) ↗
- Kemenkes — Public Safety Center (PSC) 119 ↗
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Cite this page
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PanduanHewan. Suspected Rabies Exposure. Last substantive update: 1 October 2026. https://panduanhewan.org/en/emergency/suspected-rabies-exposure/