What colonial and cellular morphologic features indicate a staphylococcal infection?

Staphylococcal infections are characterized by the presence of grape-like clusters of spherical bacteria when viewed under a microscope, often appearing as gram-positive cocci. Colonially, they typically form round, golden-yellow colonies (especially Staphylococcus aureus) on agar plates, which can be smooth or slightly raised. Additionally, they may exhibit beta-hemolysis on blood agar, indicating the production of hemolysins that lyse red blood cells.