International

SARS Fears Prompt China to Halt Foreign Adoptions

By Brian Naylor, Joe Palca

Published May 15, 2003 at 9:00 PM PDT

China suspends international adoptions indefinitely on fears that prospective parents arriving from abroad may spread SARS. The news comes as Chinese health officials release a report explaining how a faulty drainage system helped spark a massive SARS outbreak in a Hong Kong apartment complex. Hear NPR's Brian Naylor and NPR's Joe Palca.

International

Brian Naylor

NPR News' Brian Naylor is a correspondent on the Washington Desk. In this role, he covers politics and federal agencies.

Joe Palca

Joe Palca is a science correspondent for NPR. Since joining NPR in 1992, Palca has covered a range of science topics — everything from biomedical research to astronomy. From 2011 to 2020 he produced stories that explored the minds and motivations of scientists and inventors as part of his series, Joe's Big Idea. Palca is also the founder of NPR Scicommers – A science communication collective.