Idexx Laboratories Inc. Chairman, President and CEO Jonathan Ayers is on a medical leave of absence following a serious cycling accident that occurred Thursday.

Idexx CEO Jonathan Ayers Photo courtesy of Idexx

The Westbrook-based veterinary diagnostics firm said Monday that it has appointed company Executive Vice President Jay Mazelsky as interim president and CEO in Ayers’ absence.

A company spokeswoman declined to provide details about the circumstances of Ayers’ accident or his medical condition.

“First and foremost, we support Jon and his family and wish him a speedy and full recovery,” said Larry Kingsley, lead director of the Idexx board in a prepared statement. “Jon is a passionate, dedicated and well-respected leader of Idexx.”

Kingsley said the board is confident that the company will continue to execute its business strategy and create value for shareholders under Mazelsky’s leadership. He did not indicate how long the company expects Ayers to be on medical leave.

Idexx is Maine’s largest publicly traded company in terms of market capitalization, or the number of outstanding shares multiplied by the value of each share. Its shares trade on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol IDXX.

Idexx has nearly 3,000 employees in Maine and more than 8,000 worldwide.