Don't worry about it, it's November Sweeps. Since the snipers have been caught, shark attacks and kidnappings are boring, the election isn't being contested; the news channels are in a panic because there is nothing for them to talk about 24 hours a day during this period.
There are actually 10-20 cases of the plague every year in the US and it's a nonevent. It won't stop them from hyping and fear-mongering it just to get a few days of "news."
