Hosts and size Three main classes - animal viruses, bacterial viruses (bacteriophages), and plant viruses. The particular host range of a virus is determined by the virus's requirements for its specific attachment to the host cell and the availability within the potential host of cellular factors required for viral multiplication.Hosts and size Three main classes - animal viruses, bacterial viruses (bacteriophages), and plant viruses. The particular host range of a virus is determined by the virus's requirements for its specific attachment to the host cell and the availability within the potential host of cellular factors required for viral multiplication