ABSTRACT
Land use/Land cover (LULC) associated with Cryptosporidium sp. and Giardia sp. quantification and distribution can provide identification of the environmental circulation patterns of these parasites. The aim of this research was to relate the occurrence and circulation of these parasites to the LULC watershed with poor sanitation infrastructure and livestock as important economic activity. The study involved 11 municipalities in the state of São Paulo, located in southeastern Brazil. Sampling was carried out at the catchment sites of each water supply on a monthly basis, starting in December 2014 and lasting until November 2015, totalizing 128 samples. Protozoans were quantified according to the 1623.1 US. EPA Method. For watershed delimitation, the hydrographic network was extracted from the hydrology tool of ArcGIS 10.1. The frequency of occurrence of these pathogens and the high concentrations were evidenced in the municipality with the largest urban area (16.2%) and intense livestock activity (39%) near the catchment site. The municipality that showed the lowest frequency of occurrence presented the smallest urban area (0.87%) and absence of livestock activity near the catchment site. The high concentration of pathogens suggests a correlation between the impact on water supply networks and river basin degradation caused by urban activity and livestock.
