Systems for management of cellular responses to copper and zinc stress, including efflux of the metal ions in Group B Streptococcus (GBS) involve CopY. Jointly copper- and zinc -responsive, CopY governs a biologically consequential cross-system effect of metal management in GBS; a role for CopY in GBS survival in macrophages and in disseminated infection has also been described. However, there is no described role for CopY in the female reproductive tract, the most frequent natural host niche of this opportunistic pathogen. We analyzed the contribution of CopY to persistence of GBS in the female reproductive tract of mice using a well-defined murine model of human reproductive tract chronic colonization. The contributions of copY and several other genes involved in cross-system management of metal stress in GBS and resistance to zinc intoxication, in supporting fitness of GBS during chronic colonization of the reproductive tract will be presented.