Pope Leo XIV thanked the people of Spain’s Canary Islands after passengers exposed to hantavirus aboard a cruise ship were allowed to disembark on the island of Tenerife.

“I would like to thank the people of the Canary Islands who, with the hospitality characteristic of them, welcomed the cruise ship MV Hondius and the passengers infected with the hantavirus,” the pope said May 10 after praying the Regina Caeli prayer with pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

The pope, who is set to visit Spain in June, said he was looking forward “to seeing all of you next month during my visit to the islands.”

Hours earlier, the Dutch-operated cruise ship docked at the port of Granadilla in Tenerife, according to BBC News. The World Health Organization said eight cases of hantavirus have been reported aboard the ship, and three passengers have died.

Passengers were evacuated and repatriated to their home countries, where they will be quarantined and monitored for symptoms. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, symptoms can appear one to eight weeks after exposure.

Hantavirus evacuation concerns

Hantavirus is a respiratory disease “primarily acquired through contact with the urine, feces or saliva of infected rodents or by touching contaminated surfaces,” the WHO stated.

The CDC said the Andes virus — a strain of hantavirus that causes severe respiratory illness — is the only hantavirus known to spread from person to person, though such transmission is rare.

The cases aboard the cruise ship involved the Andes virus, prompting protests from some Canary Islands residents concerned about the ship’s arrival.