There were articles last year that did not reference coincidence, but expanded range of the carriers for the bacteria. The first story is interesting because there's a bit about the scientists who are trying to disrupt the lifecycle of the bacteria on a small scale to find a solution.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/lyme-disease-is-spreadi...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/why-y...