Zoonotic diseases constitute about 70% of the emerging or reemerging diseases in the world; they affect many animals, cause many economic loses, and have a negative effect on public health. As a tropical country, Cuba is not exempt from the occurrence of this type of illness. There are many risk factors present such as climate change, natural disasters, bird migrations, vector species, the entry of Cuban travelers into endemic areas, the increase of commercial and touristic exchange, and the increase of agricultural activities including animals raised in urban areas. These factors make it necessary to address the problems that involve public and animal health in a collaborative and integrated manner.
The integration of surveillance through the exchange of data and use of diverse sources of information increases the capacity to detect important events in animal and public health. Forming interdisciplinary and intersectoral teams supplements the qualitative analysis in an epidemiological situation. It permits the same problem to be viewed from multiple perspectives, facilitates the use of tools to define the magnitude of an event, proposes measures with the most problem-solving capacity and optimizes the use of human resources y materials. It is essential that permanent intersectoral commissions are integrated to ensure that unexpected events are responded to rapidly and effectively.