spiked over this conspiracy theory

[GoodTaste]

Chinese search traffic for US base spiked over this conspiracy theory

Source: CNN

I understand "spiked over this conspiracy theory" as "surged on the topic of the conspiracy theory." Am I on the right track?
The definition of spike:"to rise or increase sharply" - is it suitable here?

 

[slevlife]

You have the right definition of “spiked.”

In this sentence, “over” is more like “because of.” It does not mean “on the topic of.”

 

[Tdol]

It also happened quickly.