What happens when a definitive host consumes an intermediate host carrying the cystacanth?
Answer
The cystacanth attaches to the intestinal wall and matures into an adult worm.
The ingestion of the infected intermediate host completes the indirect transmission route for Acanthocephala. When the definitive host (such as a fish, bird, or mammal) swallows the intermediate host containing the infective stage, the cystacanth is released within the digestive tract. Upon release, the cystacanth utilizes its proboscis hooks to firmly attach itself to the lining of the host's intestine. Following attachment, this larval form begins the final developmental phase, maturing into the sexually mature adult worm capable of producing eggs, thus continuing the cycle.
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