Kozhikode: A 14-year-old boy in Kozhikode was hospitalised on Sunday after accidentally consuming poisonous wild berries, mistaking them for Indian blackberry (Njavalpazham). Abhishek Chundakkunnu, a native of Thamarassery, was taken to the government taluk hospital with symptoms of severe itching and a burning sensation on his lips and inside his mouth.

Abhishek reportedly consumed ripened black varnish berries from his neighbourhood. After he developed symptoms, his parents took him to the taluk hospital in Thamarassery. Abhishek is a class 9 student of the Thamarassery Government High School. 

Meanwhile, botanist PV Madhu told Onmanorama that there had been several incidents where people, including adults, mistakenly consumed black varnish berries, thinking they were Indian blackberries. "They are poisonous. Consuming them can cause a burning sensation in the mouth and intestines," he added.