Objective To characterize the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of foodborne Salmonella among children in Hanzhong region.Methods From January 2018 to December 2023， clinical samples were collected from children diagnosed with foodborne diseases at a sentinel hospital in Hanzhong. Salmonella was detected using enrichment culture， followed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry （MALDI-TOF MS）. Positive isolates were further characterized by serotyping， antimicrobial susceptibility testing and whole-genome sequencing.Results A total of 505 clinical samples from children were tested， of which 122 （24.16%）were positive for Salmonella . The prevalence varied across age groups， showing a declining trend with increasing age. Fruits and their products were the most common suspected exposure sources， accounting for 45.90% of all cases. Salmonella Typhimurium was the most prevalent serotype， followed by Salmonella Enteritidis. A consistent linkage was observed between serotypes and their corresponding sequence types （STs）. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed that Salmonella isolates had the highest resistance rate against ampicillin （81.36%）， and relatively low resistance rate to cephalosporins， including 11.86% to cefotaxime， 3.39% to ceftazidime， and 5.08% to cefepime. Most of Salmonella typhimurium （ST34/ST19） was multidrug resistant， while Salmonella enteritidis （ST11） exhibited a limited resistance profile， with resistance mainly against ampicillin （94.12%）. The β-lactamase gene bla_TEM-1B gene was harbored at a high frequency （69.49%）， while the extended-spectrum β-lactamase gene bla_CTX-M was found in 5.08% of the isolates. Whole-genome analysis revealed that Salmonella Typhimurium ST34 and ST19 form dominant clades， from which single-nucleotide polymorphisms （SNPs） of 0-9 between strains was found， reflecting their close genetic relatedness.Conclusion The prevalence of Salmonella infection among children in Hanzhong decreased from 2018 to 2023， however， infants aged 0-3 years remain a high-risk group， with fruit and fruit-based products as the key exposure vehicle. Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella enteritidis are the dominant serotypes， and may undergo clonal transmission. Therefore， enhanced monitoring of the food chain and improved safeguards for infants and young children are recommended.