This study investigates the impact of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection during pregnancy on the behavior and brain development of offspring in a mouse model. The researchers found that ZIKV infection led to immune activation in pregnant mice and resulted in offspring displaying behaviors similar to autism, such as repetitive self-grooming and impaired social memory. In the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of affected offspring, there was an imbalance between excitation and inhibition, along with increased brain activity. This imbalance was linked to the disruption of inhibitory neurons and synapses and heightened neural activity from the ventral hippocampus (vHIP) projecting to the mPFC. The researchers also observed structural changes in synaptic connections and the way vHIP neurons connect to mPFC neurons, leading to an overactive vHIP-mPFC pathway. Interestingly, when they reduced the activity of vHIP neurons projecting to the mPFC using a specific method, it improved social memory in the affected offspring. In summary, this study reveals that Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause maternal immune activation and result in autism-like behaviors in offspring, associated with changes in brain connectivity between the ventral hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex. Understanding these mechanisms could have implications for future research into neurodevelopmental disorders and potential interventions.