Japan's health minister Takemi Keizo has urged people to be on guard against possible measles infections after five cases of the virus were confirmed in people who arrived from the United Arab Emirates.

Europe, Southeast Asia and other regions have recently experienced measles outbreaks.

As of Thursday, Japan had confirmed five cases among people who were on board a flight from the Middle Eastern country that arrived at Osaka's Kansai International Airport late last month. The infected people are residents of Osaka, Aichi and Gifu prefectures.

Takemi told reporters on Friday that the number of cases in Europe was more than 30 times greater than that of the previous fiscal year, and they reportedly included some serious and fatal infections.

He expressed concern that infections may spread across Japan as well, as overseas travel has recently rebounded.

The measles virus is highly infectious and can spread through aerial exposure. Takemi urged people to consider receiving vaccines if necessary, and to stay informed about local infections.

He also called on people to refrain from using public transit and to consult doctors via phone if they develop any possible symptoms of the disease.