Prenatal exposure to a viral mimetic alters behavioural flexibility in male, but not female, rats

► Prenatal infection altered executive function in male but not female rats. ► PolyI:C-treated male rats were impaired on a strategy set-shifting task. ► PolyI:C-treated males made fewer regressive errors during a test of reversal learning. ► This preparation may be useful for testing potential therapeutics for psychiatric disorders.