The 371 villagers in Linxiang District of Lincang City in the province soon fell ill after a banquet on Thursday, with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea.

Some of the banquet dishes were contaminated with staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium that may produce enterotoxin, which will lead to acute gastroenteritis, said Zheng Wenkang, director with the Yunnan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

"A duck dish was contaminated by the bacteria due to unqualified storage, cooking process and transport," Zheng told Xinhua.

The 371 patients were guests and family members of a villager, identified as Chen Changfa, who was hosting the banquet at home to celebrate his daughter's marriage.

By today, 11 victims are still in hospital for further examination, but their poisoning symptoms aren't as severe, according to Yang Guangxiong, governor of Linxiang District.