Occurrence of human adenoviruses in a beach area of Guarujá, São Paulo, Brazil.

Along the coastal zone of the State of São Paulo, Brazil, diffuse discharges that flow directly to tourist beaches are responsible for introducing various pathogens into recreational waters. The objective of this study was to analyze, for the first time, the presence of protozoa (Cryptosporidium ssp and Giardia ssp), as well as human mastadenoviruses (HAdV-species C and F) and other species of adenoviruses (AdV) in beach drainage channels of Enseada and Perequê, municipality of Guarujá, São Paulo, Brazil. Protozoa were not detected in any sample over the course of the 11-month study. In relation to HAdVs, 100% (n = 22) of the water samples presented contamination by at least one type of virus (C, D, or F species), suggesting potential risks to the public health following recreational exposure of beach users to these waters. PRACTITIONER POINTS: First report on the presence of human adenoviruses in urban drainage channels in the coast of São Paulo State, Brazil. Urban surface water runoff is responsible for introducing human adenoviruses linked to disease outbreaks in areas of intense recreation. Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts were below the limit of detection for all analyzed samples. However, all sites were positive for at least one of the viral species (HAdV-C, HAdV-D, or HAdV-F). Viral loads found in the water were similar to those commonly found in the wastewater.