Two suspected cases of foot and mouth disease (FMD) are under investigation following initial positive results pending confirmation, head of the veterinary association Demetris Epaminondas said on Wednesday.

“There are some positive tests. However, this alone is not enough to characterise a case as a confirmed case,” he said

The two cases, which were made public on Monday, relate to livestock units in Avgorou and Pentakomo, where no previous cases had been recorded.

“If all the characteristics provided for by the regulation are not present, it cannot be classified as a confirmed case,” said Epaminondas.

He said that more information is being collected and had yet to be evaluated as further tests were needed before the two incidents could officially be categorised as FMD cases and further measures could be taken.

Epaminondas added that the regulation specifies the characteristics that must be met in full for a case to be confirmed.

“That is why we are continuing the investigation, so that we can properly assess the two cases,” he said.