Education:
B.S.    1997     Biological Scienes (major), Wildlife Biology (minor)      Clemson University, Clemson, SC
M.S.   2000     Zoology (parasitology)                                                 Clemson University, Clemson, SC
Ph.D.  2004     Veterinary Parasitology                                                University of Georgia, Athens, GA

Research Interests:
Wildlife parasitology
Characterization of Trypanosoma cruzi from wildlife reservoirs
Molecular characterization of Babesia and Theileria species from wildlife hosts
Vector-borne zoonotic diseases
Phylogenetics of coccidia
Taxonomy of parasites

Recent Publications

• Yabsley, Michael J., Janean Romines, and Victor F. Nettles.  Detection of Babesia and Anaplasma species in rabbits from Texas and Georgia, USA.  Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases  6:7-13.
• Gibbs, Samantha E. J., Andrew B. Allison, Michael J. Yabsley, and David E. Stallknecht.  2006. West Nile virus antibodies in avian species of Georgia, USA: 2000-2004.  Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases 6:57-72.
• Gibbs, Samantha E. J., Michael C. Wimberly, Marguerite Madden, Janna Masour, Michael J. Yabsley, David E. Stallknecht.  2006. Factors affecting the geographic distribution of West Nile virus in Georgia, USA: 2002-2004.  Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases 6:73-82.
• Paddock, Christopher D. and Michael J. Yabsley.  2006.  Ecological havoc, the rise of white-tailed deer, and the unveiling of Amblyomma americanum-associated zoonoses in the United States.  In: CTMI vol. on Wildlife and Emerging Zoonotic Diseases: The Biology, Circumstances, and Consequences of Cross-Species Transmission. J. Mackenzie (Editor).  Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology (in press)
• Yabsley, Michael J. and Samantha E.J. Gibbs.  2006.  Description and phylogeny of a new species of Eimeria from double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) near Fort Gaines, Georgia.  Journal of Parasitology (in press).
• Yabsley, Michael J., Thierry M. Work, and Robert A. Rameyer.  2006.  Molecular phylogeny of Babesia poelea from brown boobies (Sula leucogaster) from Johnston Atoll, Central Pacific.  Journal of Parasitology (in press).
  
• Yabsley, Michael J., Tracie C. Quick, and Susan E. Little.  2005.  Theileriosis in a white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawn.  Journal of Wildlife Diseases 41:806-809.
• Yabsley, Michael J., William R. Davidson, David E. Stallknecht, Andrea S. Varela, Pamela K. Swift, James C. deVos, Jr., and Shelli A. Dubay.  2005.  Evidence of tick-borne organisms in mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) from the western United States.  Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases 5:351-362.
  
• Yabsley, Michael J.  2005.  Emerging tick-borne diseases: Recent advances and the role of wildlife.  In:  The American College of Veterinary Pathologists and The American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology Conference Proceedings.  Pp 33-33.
  
• Yabsley, MJ, MC Wimberly, DE Stallknecht, SE Little, and WR Davidson.  2005. Spatial analysis of the distribution of Ehrlichia chaffeensis, causative agent of human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis, across a multi-state region.  American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 72:840-850.
• Yabsley, MJ and SEJ Gibbs.  2005.  Parasitic and Infectious Diseases of Small Mammals.  in S.K. Majumdar, J. Huffman, F.J. Brenner, and A.I. Panah, editors.  Wildlife Diseases:  Landscape Epidemiology, Spatial Distribution and Utilization of Remote Sensing Technology. Pennsylvania Academy of Sciences pp. 345-373.
• Varela, AS, DE Stallknecht, MJ Yabsley, VA Moore IV, EW Howerth, WR Davidson, and SE Little.  2005.  Primary and secondary infection with Ehrlichia chaffeensis in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Vector-borne and Zoonotic Diseases 5:48-57.
  
• Yabsley, MJ, TM Norton, MR Powell, and WR Davidson. 2004.  Molecular and serologic evidence of multiple tick-borne pathogens in free-ranging lemurs from St. Catherine’s Island, Georgia.  Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 35:503-509.
• Yabsley, MJ, C Dresden-Osborne, EE Pirkle, JK Kirven, and GP Noblet.  2004.  Filarial worm infections in shelter dogs and cats from northwestern South Carolina, U.S.A.  Comparative Parasitology 71:154-157.
• Flacke, GL, MJ  Yabsley, BA Hanson, and DE Stallknecht.  2004.  Hemorrhagic disease in Kansas: enzootic stability meets epizootic disease.  Journal of Wildlife Diseases 40:288-293.
• Yabsley, MJ,  VG Dugan, DE Stallknecht, SE Little, JM Lockhart, JE Dawson, and WR 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]
• Varela, AS, DE Stallknecht, MJ Yabsley, VA Moore, WR Davidson, and SE 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., 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]
  
• 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]  
• Yabsley, M.J., N.L. Gottdenker, and J.R. Fischer.  2002.  Description of a new Eimeria species and associated lesions in the kidneys of double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus).  Journal of Parasitology 88:989-993. [Medline abstract] [PDF reprint]   
• Yabsley, M.J. and G.P. Noblet.  2002.  Biological and molecular characterization of a raccoon-isolate of Trypanosoma cruzi from South Carolina.  Journal of Parasitology 88:1230-1233. [Medline abstract]  [PDF reprint]  
• James, M. J., M. J. Yabsley, O. J. Pung, and M. J. Grijalva.  2002.  Amplification of Trypanosoma cruzi-specific DNA sequences in formalin-fixed raccoon tissues using polymerase chain reaction.  Journal of Parasitology 88:989-993.  [PDF reprint] 
• 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 8:668-671.  [Full online text]  [PDF reprint]   
• Yabsley, M. J. and G. P. Noblet.  2002.  Seroprevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi in raccoons from South Carolina and Georgia.  Journal of Wildlife Disease 38:75-83. [Medline abstract] 
•  Yabsley, M. J., G. P. Noblet, and O. J. Pung.  2001.  Comparison of serological methods and blood culture for detection of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in raccoons (Procyon lotor).  Journal of Parasitology 87:1155-1159. [Medline abstract]  [PDF reprint]  
• Noblet, G. P. and M. J. Yabsley.  2000.  The Good and the Bad: Symbiosis in the Animal Kingdom.  In Tested Studies for Laboratory Teaching. Proceedings of the 22nd Workshop/Conference of the Association for Biology Laboratory Education (ABLE) 22: 120-155. [Abstract]  
• Yabsley, M. J., G. P. Noblet, and O. J. Pung.  1999.  Use of the indirect immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and blood culture to detect Trypanosoma cruzi infections in raccoons from Georgia.  International Virtual Conference on Veterinarian Medicine – Diseases of Exotic Animals and Wildlife, November 15-30, 1999. [Full online text]  
• Yabsley, M. J. and G. P. Noblet.  1999.  Nematodes and Acanthocephalans of raccoons (Procyon lotor), with a new geographical record for Centrorhynchus conspectus (Acanthocephala) in South Carolina, U.S.A.  Journal of the Helminthological Society of Washington 66: 111-114.