Viruses usually exist simultaneously with various dissolved organic matter, inorganic colloids, and microbial cells in wastewater, while little has been done on effects of microbial cells and their exudates on fate of viruses in the environment. In this study, bacterial cells were harvested and their exuded extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) were extracted from the media that had been used to cultivate three typical strains of bacteria. The aim is to (1) compare red soils in virus adsorption capacity; (2) investigate effect of the presence of the bacteria on virus adsorption onto the red soils; and (3) evaluate relative contributions of the bacterial cells and their exuded EPS to the effect. Results show that among the four kinds of sterilized red soils, Argiargiudic Ferrosols and Allitiargiudic Ferrosols was the highest in virus adsorption capacity, Rhodiudic Ferralosols followed, and Ferriudic Cambosols lagged behind, being the lowest. The presence of bacterial cells did not have much effect on the adsorption, and in a certain kind of red soil it displayed a promotive trend. However, the presence of EPS alone or of cells and EPS simultaneously significantly reduced virus adsorption capacities of all the four studied soils, by 36% or 30%, respectively, which indicates that the effect of the presence of bacteria reducing virus adsorption by the soils is attributed mainly to the EPS bacteria exude. The findings demonstrate that it is essential to take into account the presence of bacteria and its effect in assessing virus adsorption capacity of a certain medium. Otherwise, it is very likely to have it overestimated.