Name:  Prof Marthie M Ehlers

e-mail:  [email protected]

Tel:  012 319 2170

Cell: 084 206 1133

 

Publications of the past 5 years:

Original publications in ISI accredited journals:

1. Redelinghuys MJ, Ehlers MM, Dreyer AW, Lombaard HA, Kock MM, 2014  Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of Ureaplasma species and Mycoplasma hominis in pregnant women. BMC Infectious Diseases 14:171

 

2. Strasheim W, Kock MM, Ueckermann V, Hoosien E, Dreyer AW, Ehlers MM, 2015 Surveillance of catheter-related infections: the supplementary role of the microbiology laboratory.  BMC Infectious Diseases 15:5 (DOI 10.1186/s12879-014-0743-5).

 

3. Redelinghuys MJ, Ehlers MM, Dreyer AW, Kock MM, 2015 Normal flora and bacterial vaginosis in pregnancy: an overview.  Critical Reviews in Microbiology, Early Online 1-12 (doi:10.3109/1040841X.2014.954522)

 

4. Schmidt T, Kock MM and Ehlers MM (2015) Diversity and antimicrobial susceptibility profiling of staphylococci isolated from bovine mastitis cases and close human contacts.  Journal of Diary Sciences 98:6256–6269

 

5. Redelinghuys MJ, Ehlers MM, Dreyer AW, Lombaard H, Olorunju SAS and Kock MM (2015) A cross-sectional study on the relationship of age, gestational age and HIV infection to bacterial vaginosis and genital mycoplasma infection.  BMJ Open 5:e008530. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2015- 008530

 

6. Lowings M, Ehlers MM, Dreyer AW and Kock MM (2015) High prevalence of oxacillinases in clinical multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from the Tshwane region, South Africa – An update. BMC Infectious Diseases 15:521 doi:10.1186/s12879-015-1246-8.

 

7. Jung HS, Ehlers MM, Lombaard HA, Redelinghuys MJ and Kock MM (2017) Etiology of bacterial vaginosis and polymicrobial biofilm formation. Critical Reviews in Microbiology 43: 651-667

 

8. Schmidt T, Kock MM and Ehlers MM (2017) Molecular characterization of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from bovine mastitis and close human contacts in South African dairy herds: genetic diversity and inter-species host transmission. Frontiers in Microbiology 8: 1-15.

 

9. Redelinghuys MJ, Ehlers MM, Bezuidenhoudt JE, Becker PJ and Kock MM (2017) Assessment of Atopobium vaginae and Gardnerella vaginalis concentrations in a cohort of pregnant South African women. Sexually Transmitted Infections 93(6): 410-415.

 

10. Ehlers MM, Strasheim W, Lowe M, Ueckerman V and Kock MM (2018) Molecular Epidemiology of Staphylococcus epidermidis Implicated in Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infections at an Academic Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa. Frontiers in Microbiology doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2018.00417

 

11. Lowe M, Ehlers MM, Ismail F, Peirano G, Becker P, Pitout JDD and Kock MM (2018)  Acinetobacter baumannii: epidemiological and antimicrobial susceptibility data from two tertiary academic hospitals in Tshwane, South Africa. Frontiers in Microbiology 9:1280

 

12. Geldenhuys J, Rossouw TM, Lombaard HA, Ehlers MM and Kock MM (2018) Pre-eclampsia, a pregnancy disorder associated with disruption in the regulation of immune responses. Frontiers in Immunology 9: 1659

 

13. Goolam Mahomed T, Kock MM, Masekela R, Hoosien E and Ehlers MM (2018)   Genetic relatedness of Staphylococcus aureus isolates obtained from cystic fibrosis patients at a tertiary academic hospital in Pretoria, South Africa. Scientific Reports 8:12222 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-018-30725-x.

 

14. Schmidt T, Kock MM and Ehlers MM (2018) Identification and characterization of Staphylococcus devriesei isolates from bovine intramammary infections in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. BMC Veterinary Research 14: 324.

 

 

Review articles in ISI accredited journals:

 

1. Redelinghuys MJ, Ehlers MM, Dreyer AW, Kock MM (2016) Normal flora and bacterial vaginosis in pregnancy: An overview.  Critical Reviews in Microbiology 42:352-363

 

Book chapters:

1. Lowings M, Ehlers MM and Kock MM (2015) “Acinetobater baumannii: A Superbug" has been accepted for publication in the fifth number of the Microbiology Book Series titled "The Battle Against Microbial Pathogens: Basic Science, Technological Advances and Educational Programs"

 

2. Goolam Mohamed T, Kock MM and Ehlers MM (2015) “Gram-negative bacteria in cystic fibrosis" has been accepted for publication in the fifth number of the Microbiology Book Series titled "The Battle Against Microbial Pathogens: Basic Science, Technological Advances and Educational Programs"

 

3. De Jesus M, Ehlers M, Dos Santos R and Kock M (2015)  Mini-Review: Understanding β-lactamase producing Klebsiella pneumoniae In Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria – An Open Challenge.  Prof. Maria Christina Ossiprandi (Ed.), ISBN 978-953-51-4385-7, InTech, Croatia. Available from: http://www.intechopen.com/books/antimicrobial-resistance-an-open-challenge/review-understanding-lactamase-producing-klebsiella-pneumoniae

 

4. Schmidt T, Kock MM and Ehlers MM (2015).  Antimicrobial Resistance in Staphylococci at the Human– Animal Interface, Antimicrobial Resistance - An Open Challenge, Prof. Maria Cristina Ossiprandi (Ed.), ISBN: 978-953-51-2222-7, InTech, Croatia. Available from: http://www.intechopen.com/books/antimicrobial-resistance-an-open-challenge/antimicrobial-resistance-in-staphylococci-at-the-human-animal-interface

 

 

Conference proceedings:

National:

1. Goolam Mahomed T, Kock MM, Masekela R, Hoosien E and Ehlers MM (2014) Prevalence and molecular characteristics of dominant bacteria isolated from patients attending a cystic fibrosis clinic in Pretoria. Airwaves congress, from 20 to 23 June 2014 at the Gateway Hotel, Umhlanga (Oral Presentation)

 

2. Strasheim W, Kock MM, Ueckermann V, Hoosien E, Dreyer AW, Ehlers MM (2014) Catheter culture practices in the diagnosis of catheter-related bloodstream infections at a tertiary academic hospital in South Africa. UNIPATH 2014 conference 19-21 September at CSIR ICC, Pretoria, South Africa. (Oral presentation)

 

3. Adelowotan AO, Kock MM, Ehlers MM (2014) Prevalence and characteristics of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates from a tertiary non-academic hospital in western Nigeria. UNIPATH 2014 conference 19-21 September at CSIR ICC, Pretoria, South Africa. (Oral presentation)

 

4. Adelowotan AO, Kock MM, Olorunju SAS, Ehlers MM (2014) Methicillin-resistant knowledge and level of awareness among patients and healthcare workers at a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. . UNIPATH 2014 conference 19-21 September at CSIR ICC, Pretoria, South Africa. (Poster presentation)

 

5. Biswas RK, Ehlers MM, Kock MM (2014) Identification of metronidazole resistance pathway proteins in Trichomonas vaginalis. UNIPATH 2014 conference 19-21 September at CSIR ICC, Pretoria, South Africa. (Oral presentation)

 

6. Biswas RK, Kock M Ehlers MM (2014) Comparative genomic analysis of Staphylococcus aureus methicillin resistant clinical isolates. SAGS/SASBi joint conference 2014, Kwalata Raunch, South Africa. (Poster presentation)

 

7. Schmidt T, Kock MM, Ehlers MM (2014) Identification of coagulase negative staphylococci associated with bovine intramammary infections using a multiplex PCR assay. Congress of the South African Association of Veterinary Technologists (SSAVT), 13 & 14 October 2014, at Crawford’s Beach, Eastern Cape, South Africa. (Oral presentation)

 

8. Antiabong JF, Kock MM and Ehlers MM (2015) Diversity of multi-drug efflux pumps and the dynamics of methicillin resistance in clinical MRSA isolates from the Pretoria region of South Africa. 6th FIDSSA Congress 2015, Drankensberg, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa (5 - 8th November 2015).  Poster

 

9. Goolam Mahomed T, Kock MM, Masekela R, Hoosien E and Ehlers MM (2015) Virulence genes associated with early stages of infection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis patients attending a clinic in Pretoria. 6th FIDSSA Congress 2015, Drankensberg, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa (5 - 8th November 2015).  Poster .

 

10. Strasheim W, Kock MM, Ueckermann V, Hoosien E, Dreyer AW and Ehlers MM (2015) Rapid in vivo emergence of ertapenem-resistance in Enterobacter cloacae: A case report. 6th FIDSSA Congress 2015, Drankensberg, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa (5 - 8th November 2015).  Poster.

 

11. Schmidt T, Kock MM and Ehlers MM (2016) Occurrence and distribution of superantigen toxin genes in staphylococci recovered from bovine intramammary infections and close human contacts.  SASM 2016 – 19th Biennial Congress, 17 – 20 January 2016, Coastlands, Umhlanga.  Oral presentation.

 

12. Bolukaoto JY, Kock MM, Strydom K-A and Ehlers MM (2017) Virulence profile of  enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolates from clinical specimens and environmental samples in Gauteng region, South Africa. 7^th FIDSSA Congress 2017, 9-11 November 2017, Century City Conference Centre, Cape Town South Africa. Poster presentation

 

13. Geldenhuys J, Lombaard HA, Ehlers MM, Valverde A and MM Kock (2017) The diversity of the gut, vaginal and oral microbiome among pregnant women in South Africa with pre-eclampsia. 7^th FIDSSA Congress 2017, 9-11 November 2017, Century City Conference Centre, Cape Town South Africa. Poster presentation

 

14. Koekemoer C, Kock MM and Ehlers MM (2017) Prevalence of antibiotic resistance and virulence genes of Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolated from porcine in Gauteng, South Africa. 7^th FIDSSA Congress 2017, 9-11 November 2017, Century City Conference Centre, Cape Town South Africa. Poster presentation

 

15. Mogale R, Kock MM and Ehlers MM (2017) Morphological diversity of Panton-Valentine leukocidin positive Staphylococcus aureus macrophages identified in SA and Nigeria. 7^th FIDSSA Congress 2017, 9-11 November 2017, Century City Conference Centre, Cape Town South Africa. Poster presentation

 

16. Moloto K, Pitout JDD,  Ehlers MM, Ismail F and Kock MM (2017) Prevalence of carbapenemase producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa circulating in Pretoria, South Africa. 7^th FIDSSA Congress 2017, 9-11 November 2017, Century City Conference Centre, Cape Town South Africa. Poster presentation

 

17. Steyn J, Kock MM, Said M, Meidany P and Ehlers MM (2017) Genetic relatedness of clinical Clostridium difficile isolates in the Pretoria region. 7^th FIDSSA Congress 2017, 9-11 November 2017, Century City Conference Centre, Cape Town South Africa. Poster presentation

 

International

1. De Jesus MB, Ehlers MM, Dreyer AW, Olorunju S, Dos Santos RF and Kock MM (2014) Characterisation of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-encoding Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from Pretoria, South Africa. American Society for Microbiology (ASM) 114^th General Meeting, 17 – 20 May, Boston, Massachusetts, USA (Poster presentation)

 

2. Dos Santos RF, Ehlers MM, De Jesus MB and Kock MM (2014) Detection of β-lactamase genes in wastewater Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli isolates. American Society for Microbiology (ASM) 114^th General Meeting, 17 – 20 May, Boston, Massachusetts, USA (Poster presentation)

 

3. Ehlers MM, Goolam Mahomed T, Masekela R, Hoosien E and Kock MM (2014) Detection of mecA and Panton-Valentine Leukocidin Toxin genes in Staphylococci isolated from Cystic Fibrosis Patients Attending a Clinic at a Tertiary Academic Hospital in South Africa. American Society for Microbiology (ASM) 114^th General Meeting, 17 – 20 May, Boston, Massachusetts, USA (Poster presentation)

 

4. Strasheim W, Kock MM, Hoosien E, V Ueckermann, Dreyer AW and Ehlers MM (2014) Pathogen distribution of catheter-related bloodstream infections obtained from a tertiary academic hospital in South Africa. American Society for Microbiology (ASM) 114^th General Meeting, 17 – 20 May, Boston, Massachusetts, USA (Poster presentation)

 

5. Adelowotan AO, Kock MM, Ehlers MM (2014) Identification and charaterisation of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from nasal swabs obtained from patients and healthcare workers at a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. The 2nd International Congress on Bacteriology and Infectious Diseases, 17 to 19 November 2014, Chicago USA. Poster presentation.

 

6. Adelowotan AO, Kock MM, Ehlers MM (2014) Characterisation and antibiotic resistance of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from nasal swabs from patients and healthcare workers at a tertiary non-academic hospital in Nigeria.  IMED conference 2014, Vienna, Austria, 31 Oct-3 Nov 2014 (Poster presentation)

 

7. W Strasheim, MM Kock, E Hoosien, V Ueckermann, AW Dreyer and MM Ehlers (2015) Molecular Epidemiology of Staphylococcus epidermidis at a Tertiary Academic Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa: A Cross-sectional Study.  Oral presentation and E-poster at the 25th ECCMID conference, 25 – 28 April 2015, Copenhagen, Denmark. Ms W Strasheim also received a Travel grant (free registration and 500 euros), an award offered to the top 100 outstanding abstracts. Over 3000 abstracts were submitted for peer-review

 

8. Potgieter M, Kock MM, Lekalakala MR; Ismail F and Ehlers MM (2015) A Cross-sectional Study Determining the Genetic Characteristics of Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Strains Isolated from Patients in the Pretoria region, South Africa. E-poster at the 25th ECCMID conference, 25 – 28 April 2015, Copenhagen, Denmark

 

9. Lowings M, Ehlers MM, Ismail F, Lekalakala MR and Kock MM (2015) Cross-sectional study to determine the circulating antimicrobial resistance genes isolated from Acinetobacter baumannii in two tertiary academic hospitals. Poster and E-poster at the 25th ECCMID conference, 25 – 28 April 2015, Copenhagen, Denmark

 

10. Adelowotan AO, Kock MM, Antiabong JF and Ehlers MM (2015) Genetic diversity among circulating Staphylococcus aureus strains in a western Nigerian hospital. World Congress on Infectious Diseases, London, UK, 10 to12 August.  Poster

 

11. Schmidt T, Kock MM & Ehlers MM (2016) Genetic characterisation and profiling of Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from bovine intramammary infections and close human contacts. 26th ECCMID conference, 9 – 12 April 2016, Amsterdam, the Netherlands (Poster and eposter)

 

12. Schwim RA, Kock MM, Ismail F & Ehlers MM (2016)  Molecular characterisation of antimicrobial resistance and virulence factors of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains circulating in the Pretoria region.  26th ECCMID conference, 9 – 12 April 2016, Amsterdam, the Netherlands (Eposter)

 

13. Potgieter M, Kock MM, Ismail R & Ehlers MM (2016)  Characterization and genetic relatedness of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus strains circulating in the Pretoria region, South Africa: a cross-sectional study. 26th ECCMID conference, 9 – 12 April 2016, Amsterdam, the Netherlands (Poster presentation and eposter)

 

14. Lowings M, Ehlers MM, Ismail F & Kock MM (2016)  Molecular epidemiological investigation of clinical A.baumannii isolates from two health care settings in Tshwane, South Africa. 26th ECCMID conference, 9 – 12 April 2016, Amsterdam, the Netherlands (Poster and eposter)

 

15. Goolam Mahomed T, Kock MM, Masekela R, Hoosien E & Ehlers MM (2016) Genetic relatedness of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from cystic fibrosis patients attending a clinic at a tertiary academic hospital in Pretoria. 26th ECCMID conference, 9 – 12 April 2016, Amsterdam, the Netherlands (Eposter)

 

16. Schmidt, Kock MM and Ehlers MM (2016) Molecular characterisation of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from cases of bovine mastitis and close human contacts in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The 6th International Dairy Federation Mastitis conference Nantes, France 6 to 9 September 2016. Oral presentation

 

17. Lowings, M, Ehlers, MM; Pitout JDD, Ismail, F and Kock, MM (2017) Characterisation of clinical multidrug resistant A. baumannii isolates in Tshwane, South Africa: a two-year observational study. The 27th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), Vienna, Austria, 22 to 25 April (Poster presentation)

 

18. Moloto K, Pitout JDD, Ehlers MM, Ismail F and Kock MM (2017) Prevalence of carbapenemase producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa circulating in Pretoria, South Africa. The 27th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), Vienna, Austria, 22 to 25 April (Poster presentation)

 

19. Naidoo R, Kock MM, Green RJ and Ehlers MM (2017) Antibiotic resistance and virulence profiles of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus isolated from bronchiectasis and cystic fibrosis patients at a tertiary academic hospital in Pretoria. The 27th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), Vienna, Austria, 22 to 25 April (Poster presentation)

 

20. Schmidt T, Kock MM and Ehlers MM (2017) Identification and characterisation of Staphylococcus devriesei from bovine intramammary infections in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The 27th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), Vienna, Austria, 22 to 25 April (Poster presentation)

 

21. Schoonraad NJ, Kock MM, Van der Zel GA, Geertsma P and Ehlers MM (2017) Genetic relatedness of Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium from slaughtered pigs and abattoir workers in Gauteng, South Africa. The 27th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), Vienna, Austria, 22 to 25 April (Poster presentation)

 

22. Schoonraad NJ, Kock MM, Van der Zel GA, Geertsma P and Ehlers MM (2017) Molecular characterisation of Staphylococcus aureus isolates obtained from slaughtered pigs and abattoir workers in Gauteng, South Africa. The 27th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), Vienna, Austria, 22 to 25 April (Poster presentation)

 

23. Strydom K, Lowings M, Kingsburgh C, Ismail F, Said M, Mbelle NM, Ehlers MM and Kock MM (2017) Emergence of mcr-1 in Escherichia coli isolates at a tertiary referral laboratory in Pretoria, South Africa. The 27th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), Vienna, Austria, 22 to 25 April (Poster presentation)

 

24. Lowings M, Kock M, Coetzee J, Hoosien E, van Greune J, Ehlers M, Peirano G, Chen L, Kreiswirth BN and Pitout JDD (2017) The rapid emergence of Klebsiella pneumoniae ST307 with bla_OXA-181 in South Africa. ASM Microbe June 2017, New Orleans, LA, USA. Poster presentation.

 

25. Bolukaoto J, Kock MM, Strydom K-A and Ehlers MM (2018) Genetic characterization of entrerohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolates from clinical specimens and environmental samples in Gauteng region, South Africa. The 28th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), in Madrid, Spain, 21 to 24 April 2018. Oral presentation and eposter presentation.

 

26. Geldenhuys J, Lombaard H, Ehlers MM, Valverde A and Kock MM (2018) Characterisation of the gut, vaginal and oral microbiome amongst pregnant woman with and without pre-eclampsia in South Africa. Poster presentation. The 28th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), in Madrid, Spain, 21 to 24 April 2018. Poster presentation.

 

27. Lowe M, Strydom K-A, Kock MM, Coetzee JJ, Hoosien A, Van Greune J, Peirans G, Ehlers MM, Mbelle N, Chen L Kreiswirth and Pitout J (2018) The emergence of Klebsiella pneumonia ST307 clade II in private and public sectors in South Africa. The 28th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), in Madrid, Spain, 21 to 24 April 2018. Poster presentation.

 

28. Mogale R, Kock MM and Ehlers MM (2018) Bacteriophage diversity of Panton-Valentine leukocidine positive clinical Staphylococcus aureus isolates from South Africa and Nigeria. The 28th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), in Madrid, Spain, 21 to 24 April 2018. Poster presentation.

 

29. Moloto K, Pitout J, Ehlers MM, Ismail F and Kock MM (2018) Molecular epidemiology of clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates in the Tshwane region, South Africa. The 28th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), in Madrid, Spain, 21 to 24 April 2018. Poster presentation.

 

30. Redelinghuys M, Valverde A, Ehlers MM, Lombaard H, Adam S, Cowan D and Kock MM (2018) Terminal-RFLP of vaginal microbiome communities in pregnant woman with dysbiosis and HIV infection. The 28th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), in Madrid, Spain, 21 to 24 April 2018. Poster presentation.

 

31. Steyn J, Kock MM, Said M, Meidany P and Ehlers MM (2018) Molecular epidemiology of clinical Clostridium difficile isolates obtained from clinics and hospitals in the Pretoria region, South Africa. The 28th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), in Madrid, Spain, 21 to 24 April 2018. Poster presentation.

 

 

Published abstracts

1. Dos Santos RF, De Jesus MB, Ehlers MM, Kock MM (2014) Genetic detection of β-lactamase genes in Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli isolates from wastewater.  International Journal of Infectious Diseases 21:89

 

2. Adelowotan AO, Kock MM and Ehlers MM (2014) Identification and characterisation of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from nasal swabs obtained from patients and healthcare workers at a tertiary hospital in Nigeria, The 2^nd International Congress on Bacteriology and Infectious Diseases, 17 to 19 November 2014, Chicago USA, In Journal of Bacteriology & Parasitology 2014, 5 (4): 113

 

Other:

NRF rated members of the group:

Prof MM Ehlers: C3 rated scientist

 

updated 22/05/2019