Ticks (IMAGE) West Virginia University Caption The presence of ticks have increased in recent years, as Lyme disease cases have tripled in the U.S. since the late 1990s. A team of WVU researchers, with the aid of a $1.9 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is developing a vaccine that may prevent humans from contracting the tick-borne illness. Credit Timothy Driscoll/West Virginia University Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.