Most people who have asthma know that smoke, mold, and chemicals in the air can make it difficult to breathe. But what about thunderstorms? It's a bit of a mystery, but over the years studies by climatologists
and epidemiologists have shown a spike in asthma attacks after stormy weather
Question
In the third sentence, "spike" most nearly means
disappearance
O brief increase
O negation
O sudden interruption