Education:
B.S., Wildlife Management, West Virginia University, 1971
M.S., Veterinary Parasitology, University of Georgia, 1974
Ph.D., Veterinary Parasitology, University of Georgia, 1975

Recent Publications (selected since 1998):

• Varela, A.S., D.E. Stallknecht, M.J. Yabsley, V.A. Moore, W.R. Davidson, and S.E. Little.  2003.  experimental infection of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) with Ehrlichia chaffeensis by different inoculation routes.  Journal of Wildlife Diseases 39:881-886.
• Yabsley, M. J., V.G. Dugan, D.E. Stallknecht, S.E. Little, J. M. Lockhart, J.E. Dawson, and W.R. Davidson.  2003.  Evaluation of a prototype Ehrlichia chaffeensis surveillance system using white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) as natural sentinels. Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases 3:195-207. [PDF Reprint]
• Yabsley, M.J., S.E. Little, E. J. Sims, V.G. Dugan, D.E. Stallknecht, and W.R. Davidson.  2003.  Molecular variation in the variable-length PCR target and 120-kilodalton antigen genes of Ehrlichia chaffeensis from white-tailed deer.  Journal of Clinical Microbiology  41:5202-5206.   [PDF Reprint]
  
• Munderloh, U.G.,  C.M. Tate, M.J. Lynch, E.W. Howerth, T.J. Kurtti, and W.R. Davidson.  2003.  Isolation of an Anaplasma sp. organism from white-tailed deer by tick cell culture.  Journal of Clinical Microbiology  41:4328-4335. [PDF Reprint]
• Sumner, J. W., M. J. Yabsley, M. Q. Arens, G. Buenning, G. A. Storch, and W. R. Davidson.  2003.  Determination of white-tailed deer agent groESL operon sequences for pylogenetic and diagnostic applications.  Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 990:699-700.  [PDF Reprint]
• Moore, V.A., A.S. Varela, M.J. Yabsley, W.R. Davidson, and S.E. Little.  2003.  Detection of Borrelia lonestari, putative causative agent of Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness, in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from the southeastern United States.  Journal of Clinical Microbiology 41:424-427.  [Medline abstract]  [PDF reprint]  
• Keel, M.K.,  W. R. Davidson, G. L. Doster, and L. A. Lewis.  2002.  Northern bobwhite and lead shot deposition  in an upland habitat.  Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 43:318-322. [PDF Reprint] 
• Nettles, V.F., C.F. Quist, R.R. Lopez, T.J. Wilmers, P. Frank, W. Roberts, S. Chitwood, and W.R. Davidson.  2002.  Morbidity and mortality factors in key deer (Odocoileus virginianus clavium).  Journal of Wildlife Diseases 38(4):685-692.
• Yabsley, M.J., A. S. Varela, C. M. Tate, V. G. Dugan, D. E. Stallknecht, S. E. Little, and W. R. Davidson. 2002. Ehrlichia ewingii infection in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Emerging Infectious Diseases. 8 (7): 668-671.   [Full online text]  [PDF reprint]  
• Linday, D.S., S.E. Little, and W.R. Davidson.  2002.  Prevalence of antibodies to Neospora caninum in white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, from the southeastern United States.  Journal of Parasitology 88(2):415-417.
• Gaydos, J.K., W.R. Davidson, F. Elvinger, D.G. Mead, E.W. Howerth, and D.E. Stallknecht.  2002.  Innate resistance to epizootic hemorrhagic disease in white-tailed deer.  Journal of Wildlife Diseases 38(4):713-719.
  
• Gaydos, J.K., W.R. Davidson, F. Elvinger, E.W. Howerth, M. Murphy, and D.E. Stallknecht.  2002.  Cross-protection between epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus serotypes 1 and 2 in white-tailed deer.  Journal of Wildlife Diseases 38(4):720-728.
• Lewis, L.A., R.J. Poppenga, W.R. Davidson, J.R. Fischer, and K.A. Morgan.  2001.  Lead toxicosis and trace element levels in wild birds and mammals at a firearms training facility.  Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 41:208-214.    [PDF Reprint]     [Full online text]  
• Baumann, C.D., W.R. Davidson, D.E. Roscoe, and K. Beheler-Amass.  2001.  Intracranial abscessation syndrome in white-tailed deer of North America.  Journal of Wildlife Diseases. 37(4): 661-670. 
• Davidson, W.R., J.M. Lockhart, D.E. Stallknecht, E.W. Howerth, J.E. Dawson, and Y. Rechaev.  2001.  Persistent Ehrlichia chaffeensis infection in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus).  Journal of Wildlife Diseases 37(3): 538-546. 
• Williams, C.K., W.R. Davidson, R.S. Lutz, and R.D. Applegate.  2001.  Diseases and parasites of an eastern Kansas northern bobwhite population.  Avian Diseases 44(4): 953-956. 
• Brandsma, A.R., S.E. Little, J.M. Lockhart, W.R. Davidson, D.E. Stallknecht, and J.E. Dawson.  1999.  Novel Ehrlichia organism (Rickettsiales:  Ehrlichieae) in white-tailed deer associated with lone star tick (Acari:  Ixodidae) parasitism.  Journal of Medical Entomology 36(2):190-194. 
• Davidson, W.R., J.M. Lockhart, D.E. Stallknecht, and E.W. Howerth.  1999.  Susceptibility of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) to infection by Ehrlichia chaffeensis.  Journal of Wildlife Diseases 35(4):696-702. 
• Lockhart, J.M. and W.R. Davidson.  1999.  Evaluation of C3H/HeJ mice for xenodiagnosis of infection with Ehrlichia chaffeensis.  Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigations 11:55-59. 
• Little, S.E., W.R. Davidson, P.M. Rakich, T.L. Nixon, D.I. Bounous, and V.F. Nettles.  1998.  Responses of red foxes to first and second infection with Sarcoptes scabiei.  Journal of Wildlife Diseases 34(3):600-611. 
• Little, S.E., W.R. Davidson, E.W. Howerth, P.M. Rakich, and V.F. Nettles.  1998.  Diseases diagnosed in red foxes from the southeastern United States.  Journal of Wildlife Diseases 34(3):620-624. 
• Lockhart, J.M., W.R. Davidson, D.E. Stallknecht, and J.E. Dawson.  1998.  Lack of seroreactivity to Ehrlichia chaffeensis among rodent populations.  Journal of Wildlife Diseases 34(2):392-396. 
• Little, S.E., D.E. Stallknecht, J.M. Lockhart, J.E. Dawson, and W.R. Davidson.  1998.  Natural coinfection of a white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) population with three Ehrlichia spp.  Journal of Parasitology 84(5):897-901.