MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Health officials are urging people across the nation to be careful when it comes to the produce they’re bringing home after more than 1,000 cases of cyclospora have been reported nationwide. It's a parasite that can cause gastrointestinal disease.

Before the fresh herbs or leafy greens make it to your plate, they’re getting extra attention in the kitchen.

“We’ve been here 20 years, so I think we have strict protocols. Chef Mario keeps things pretty tight,” said Omar Shaikh, the owner of Carnevor in Milwaukee. “Had a lot of questions and a lot more calls with vendors, too.”

Shaikh says reports of the cyclospora cases have meant a deeper look into the restaurant's food safety practices and its vendors.

“Yeah, just staying on the phone with them, seeing if they’re hearing anything from any of their customers,” said Shaikh.

For produce like cilantro and lettuce, that means taking an extra step. 

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“I think with some of those produce items, what we do now is we’ll just do two or three rinse,” said Shaikh.

Those precautions come as Wisconsin has reported 61 cases of cyclospora, including one hospitalization.

“They can be exposed through eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water,” said Dr. Kim Zelton, an enterics disease epidemiologist with the state’s Department of Health Services (DHS).

DHS says cases of cyclospora aren’t new, but the number of cases from this outbreak is. Typically, Wisconsin sees around 20 cases a year.

“Cyclospora is something that we see every year, particularly in the summer months,” said Dr. Zelton.

As of July 15, DHS says there are no active outbreaks of cyclospora in Wisconsin, but they urge people to keep rinsing produce thoroughly and to cook it down when they can.

“It is not only germs on your produce that could cause diarrhea,” said Dr. Zelton.

For Shaikh, he says the goal is to make sure customers never have to question the safety of the food served.

“Check the source and figure out what the issue -- that always leaves you a little uneasy, but for now, just keep doing what we’re doing and keep people safe,” said Shaikh.