A Surgical schematic and experimental timeline. B Representative image of viral infection in LHb. Similar viral infection was reproduced in n = 59 mice. C Social preference in the 3-chamber sociability test, pDiD = 0.0317 D Social novelty preference in the 3-chamber sociability test, LHb females, pDiD = 0.2023, pvirus = 0.2472, pvirusXDiD = 0.0016. E Social preference in 3-chamber sociability test, LHb males. F Social novelty preference in the 3-chamber sociability test, LHb males, pvirus = 0.0298. G Acoustic startle behavior, LHb females (10 trials/dB). H Acoustic startle behavior 120 dB only, LHb females (10 trials). I Acoustic startle behavior, LHb males (10 trials/dB), pvirus = 0.1033, pvirusXDiD = 0.0028, pvirusXdBXDiD = 0.0043. J Acoustic startle behavior 120 dB only, LHb males (10 trials), pvirusXDiD = 0.0044. K Surgical schematic and experimental timeline. L Representative image of viral infection in BNST. Similar viral infection was reproduced in n = 64 mice. M Social preference in 3-chamber sociability test, BNST females. N Social novelty preference in 3-chamber sociability test, BNST females, pDiD = 0.0253. O Social preference in the 3-chamber sociability test, BNST males. P Social novelty preference in 3-chamber sociability test, BNST males. Q Acoustic startle behavior, BNST females (10 trials/dB), pvirus = 0.1188, pvirusXdB = 0.0294, pDiDXdB = 0.0459, pvirusXdBXDiD = 0.045. R Acoustic startle behavior 120 dB only, BNST females (10 trials), pDiD = 0.0130, pvirusXDiD = 0.2662. S Acoustic startle behavior, BNST males (10 trials/dB). T Acoustic startle behavior 120 dB only, BNST males, pvirus = 0.1282 (10 trials). LHb females, mCherry: water n = 7 mice, DiD n = 8 mice; hM4Di: water n = 6 mice, DiD n = 6 mice. LHb males, mCherry: water n = 8 mice, DiD n = 8 mice; hM4Di: water n = 9 mice, DiD n = 7 mice. BNST females, mCherry: water n = 8 mice, DiD n = 7 mice; hM4Di: water n = 8 mice, DiD n = 9 mice. BNST males, mCherry: water n = 9 mice, DID n = 8 mice; hM4Di water n = 6 mice, DiD n = 9 mice. All data are presented as mean ± SEM. & denotes effect of DiD, # denotes interaction (DiD x virus, #p < 0.05, ##p < 0.01), $ denotes effect of virus ($p < 0.05, $$p < 0.01), * denotes post-hoc p < 0.05, ** denotes p < 0.01. CNO: clozapine-n-oxide. Source data are provided as a Source Data file. Created with Biorender.com.