Travelers Warned: Beware of Rabies in Bali

Considering that five people have died from rabies in Bali this year, vacationers are being warned that contact with strange animals should be avoided due to an ongoing rabies outbreak.

The deaths so far this year from rabies brings the official total to 121 since an outbreak was declared two years ago. According to Nyoman Sutedja, head of the Bali Heath Office, there are no districts that are free from the disease, the Jakarta Globe reports.

"We still need to improve our readiness because rabies can spread really quickly," Sutedja said earlier this week.

The island is home to around 300,000 dogs, many of which roam freely, according to experts, the newspaper reports.

The Australian government has strongly warned visitors to avoid contact with dogs, cats, monkeys and other animals that carry the disease. It also warns that rabies treatment in Indonesia may be limited, which means bite victims may have to travel out of the country for treatment.

Bali has also been battling an outbreak of Legionnaire's disease. According to an Australian news outlet, at least 10 Australians have been treated for the potentially fatal flu-like disease since December after visiting the popular Indonesian tourist destination.